When Becki Wilson was 15 weeks pregnant, the young mom got news that no mother ever wants to hear.
Her baby, a boy she would name Carter-James, had a grave illness. She was told that he might not live long after birth.
Despite the devastating diagnosis, Becki held out hope for her baby boy. She carried him to term and gave him all the love she could while he grew inside her.
Tragically, despite all the work of Mom and her doctors, little Carter-James passed away shortly after birth.
Like the little one who lived for just two hours in her mother's arms, Carter-James was with his family for just 16 hours before he passed on.
The sweet newborn may have not had much time in this world, but his brief life was spent with the people who love him most.
Thanks to the doctors on staff at Wythenshawe Hospital and a miraculous device called the Cuddle Cot, Becki got a special grace period to mourn her little one and say her goodbyes.
[H/T: Scary Mommy]
Becki Wilson was just 15 weeks along when she learned that her baby boy was unlikely to survive long after birth.
Her little one, whom she would name Carter-James, had a very slim chance of survival, but she carried him to term, hoping he might beat the odds.
Tragically, Carter-James lived just 16 hours before passing away.
In his short time with his family, Carter-James experienced nothing but love and warmth. His whole family was around him, cherishing him and saying their goodbyes.
However, when he eventually slipped away, the hospital sensed that Becki needed more time to grieve with her little one before laying him to rest.
Fortunately, the staff at Wythenshawe Hospital had a way to extend her final hours with her baby.
After little Carter-James passed on, the medical staff at the hospital wrapped him up in an innovative device called a Cuddle Cot.
The Cuddle Cot, contrary to its name, is less like a bassinet and more like an electric blanket. It can be fitted into an ordinary baby basket, or into an incubator or other baby bed.
The goal of the blanket is to preserve the baby as he was in life, to give Mom extra time to process.
The blanket essentially helps to insulate the baby's body and keep it at an appropriate temperature, delaying the physical changes that come after someone passes away.
The Cuddle Cot has been widely credited with helping grieving parents to process death by giving them more time with their babies.
In Becki's case, she was able to spend three days after Carter-James passed on, cuddling him, bathing him, and going through rituals of early motherhood.
Becki and her whole family found the rituals of taking care of Carter-James to be very comforting.
She wrote online:
Our experience was made peaceful and dignified and a lot easier by the staff at Wythenshawe Neonatal, and the help of the “Cuddle Cot.”
I'm eternally gratefully to them for helping to make my boy's 16 hours (and some time after) the most magical of my life.
Thanks to them I got to feel like his mummy.
I got to hold, cuddle, and dress my baby like every mother should.
Becki can't imagine going through the trauma of Carter-James' loss without the benefit of the Cuddle Cot.
That's why she's trying to raise enough money to buy another cot for the hospital.
After she went home, she learned of another family who had a similar experience but wasn't able to use a cot because there wasn't one available.
Now, Becki is trying to make sure there will always be a Cuddle Cot on hand for parents in mourning.
Little Carter-James might be gone, but his legacy is helping other families. Becki and her family started a crowdfunding page on JustGiving.
The goal of the project is to raise enough money to supply other area hospitals with Cuddle Cots of their own.
She also wants to help hospitals build out their bereavement rooms, where families can take all the time they need to say goodbye to a loved one who has passed on.
What do you think of Cuddle Cots? Let us know in the comments section!
You can learn more about Becki Wilson's story on Facebook at With Love Carter-James.
If you'd like to help contribute to her mission, you can donate or simply share the story by going to her JustGiving page.
Don't forget to SHARE this article and spread the word about her noble cause!
