Couple donate cooling cots to Glasgow hospital in memory of baby son

Staff at a Glasgow maternity unit have said they are “incredibly grateful” to a couple who donated two cooling cots in memory of their baby son.

Chelsea Turrell and Christian Horn, from Kendal in Cumbria, raised more than £30,000 to provide the items to maternity units across the UK following the death of their son Romeo Mackenzie Horn.

Romeo was stillborn just two days before his due date.

Now, with the support of the charity Abigail’s Footsteps, their fundraising has helped provide two Abi Cooling Cots for the Queen Elizabeth Maternity Unit, where they will support other families experiencing the devastating loss of a baby.

Cooling cots are specially designed to give bereaved parents the opportunity to spend more time with their baby following a stillbirth or neonatal death.

For Ms Turrell and Mr Horn, having access to a cooling cot meant they were able to spend precious time together as a family with Romeo after he was born.

“Handing over Romeo’s Abi Cooling Cots for us is such an honour,” Ms Turrell said.

“The impact these Abi Cooling Cots will have on bereaved families is immense.

“Allowing families to grieve without time pressure is fundamental. Time that can never be replaced.

“Unfortunately, until you’re in a position where you require its use, you can never comprehend its value and impact.”

The couple visited the unit on October 20 with the son Rainbow Reg, where they met staff for the handover of the cots.

Rhonda Hendry, pre-pregnancy midwife at NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Chelsea, Christian and Abigail’s Footsteps for this very thoughtful donation, made in memory of Romeo.

“The death of a baby is devastating, and our teams do everything they can to support parents and families through an unimaginably difficult time.

“Having access to specialist equipment such as cooling cots can give families the choice of spending more precious time with their baby and the opportunity to make memories together.

“We know just how important that time can be for families, and these two cots will help us continue to provide compassionate, individualised care to parents when they need it most.

“It is particularly moving to know that this donation has come about because Chelsea and Christian wanted Romeo’s memory to help other families.”

The couple’s fundraising has helped make cooling cots available to other parents across the UK, in the hope of giving other bereaved parents the same opportunity they had to spend time with their babies.

So far Abigail’s Footsteps has donated more than 320 cooling cots to hospitals throughout the UK.

The charity’s chief executive Jane Thomas said: “Every family deserves the opportunity to spend precious time with their baby, to make lasting memories, to grieve and say goodbye.

“Thanks to Chelsea and Christian’s extraordinary fundraising in memory of Romeo, more parents in Glasgow will be given that choice.

“Their courage and determination to create something positive from such profound loss is truly inspiring.

“Romeo’s legacy will live on through the comfort, care and precious memories the Abi Cooling Cots will help provide for countless families in the years ahead.”