Parents make heartfelt donation to help grieving families make special memories 

A couple have donated a special cot to the butterfly suite at Warrington Hospital’s maternity department, helping to provide comfort and support to families grieving the loss of a baby. 

Chloe and Liam Welsby, who live in Newton-le-Willows, donated the Abi cooling cot in memory of their little girl Maeve Rose Welsby, who they sadly lost at almost 38 weeks in September 2022. The cold cot, designed by Abigail’s Footsteps, is a specially designed refrigerated cot that allows families to spend precious time with their newborn after they have died. 

Thanks to the cooling cuddle cot already at the suite, the couple were able to spend four priceless days with Maeve, capturing special moments and saying goodbye in their own time. Chloe said: “Those couple of days that we got to spend with Maeve were priceless. We got to sleep next to her, watch a film with her next to us, read books to her, have all her family come meet her and have cuddles, we got to take her hand and footprints, get a locket of her hair, get professional photographs taken and a blessing took place. 

“But most importantly, we spent those couple of days soaking up every little detail. From her tiny toes to her long legs, cute little button nose and curly hair. All of this wouldn’t have been possible without the amazing staff at the butterfly suite and the cuddle cot.

“After we returned home empty handed and buried our sweet baby Maeve we realised just how important and vital those memories that we made were going to be in our grief journey. The staff enabled us to take a piece of our daughter with us, we have pictures and handprints that we can show our rainbow baby one day,” Chloe added.

After welcoming their rainbow baby, Esmae Hope, at the hospital in June 2023, Chloe and Liam wanted to find a way to give back to team who supported them. 

The couple raised £3,000 in memory of Maeve to fund an Abi cot to help other grieving parents spend time with their baby. 

Debbie Yates, bereavement midwife at the trust, said: “We are so grateful to Chloe and Liam for this generous donation. The Abi cooling cot is a welcome addition to our Butterfly Suite as we will now be able to offer a choice of cooling devices to enable families to spend precious time with their babies and creating lasting memories.”

The maternity department is now raising funds to transform care even more for bereaved families. The Willow Tree Hub will provide a dedicated space, separate from the hospital, for families to receive specialist support when experiencing baby loss, recovering from a traumatic birth or navigating a pregnancy after loss. 
Speaking about the importance of the Willow Tree Hub, Chloe said: “The trauma of losing a baby never goes away. That support and safe space is vital no matter how many years it’s been since losing a baby or how many children you’ve had since then. It’s something you grow around, but it never leaves you.  

“Our midwife Jonathan, bereavement midwife Debbie and consultant Dr Arya were with us every step of the way through our pregnancy with our rainbow baby and nothing was ever too much for them.  But as parents me and my husband still had to walk through those same hospital walls, go to the same scan rooms and relive all our trauma all over again.

“For us, a safe space such as the Willow Tree Hub, away from the hospital would have been beneficial. Due to our anxieties towards the end of our rainbow pregnancy, we were at the hospital twice a day. I believe having a separate space would have allowed us to feel calmer, more comfortable and less tense. There would be less anxiety about reliving past traumas and that then bringing up anxiety about losing the pregnancy in the same way.”

The Warrington and Halton Teaching Hospitals Charity appeal aims to raise £200,000 to fund the special space for families to grieve, reflect and receive the help and guidance they need. 

To support the appeal, visit the JustGiving page to make a donation.