After experiencing the heartbreaking loss of their son, Noah, who was stillborn, a Chippewa Township couple decided to honor him through a special donation to Heritage Valley Beaver. Heather and Chris Ream purchased and donated a Cuddle Cot for the Maternity Unit at Heritage Valley Beaver.
A Cuddle Cot is an in-room cooling unit that is the size of a small humidifier disguised inside of a Moses basket. According to Stories of Babies Born Still (S.O.B.B.S) a non-profit dedicated to Stillborn Awareness, the Cuddle Cot allows precious hours for bondi
ng, pictures, plaster molds to be taken and other family members to come and meet the baby before the natural changes that occur in death become more apparent.
“After losing our son, Heather and I received an outpouring of support from our faith community at Holy Redeemer, family and friends as well as the staff at Heritage Valley Beaver,” said Chris. “This inspired us to find a way to support others who find themselves experiencing the same life-changing loss. Knowing that this will help others, in remembrance of Noah, brings some peace to us and our family.”
Heritage Valley Beaver is one of the few hospitals in the area with a Cuddle Cot. A Cuddle Cot was donated to Heritage Valley Sewickley in March 2017.
“Our hope is that the Cuddle Cot is never needed. If it is, we want to give families time to make a few precious memories with their little one,” added Heather.
“We appreciate the generosity of Heather and Chris through this Cuddle Cot donation to our maternity unit,” said Melissa Monte, nurse manager, Maternal Child Health at Heritage Valley Beaver. “It’s reassuring to know we have the ability to provide some additional comfort to families encountering this type of devastating loss.”
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About Heritage Valley Health System Heritage Valley Health System is a $480 million integrated delivery network providing comprehensive health care for residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, in Pennsylvania; eastern Ohio; and the panhandle of West Virginia. In partnership with 3,500 employees and more than 480 physicians, Heritage Valley offers a broad range of medical, surgical and diagnostic services at its two hospitals, Heritage Valley Sewickley and Heritage Valley Beaver; in 60 physician offices; and 18 community satellite facilities. For more information about Heritage Valley Health System, please visit www.heritagevalley.org.