July 26th, 2018, Little Joys Remembrance Foundation celebrated a milestone with the placement of a Cuddle Cot into Portneuf Medical Center in Pocatello; the 15th hospital in the state of Idaho to receive the device. Developed in the United Kingdom and brought to the U.S. in 2013, the CuddleCot is an in-room cooling unit, the size of a small humidifier, disguised inside a baby basket. Its purpose is to lower the baby’s temperature to slow the physical changes after he or she has passed; allowing families to spend more time with the child.
With over 300 infant deaths per year in the state of Idaho, equipping area hospitals with a Cuddle Cot can be lifechanging for dozens of bereaved families. Yesterday’s cooling system was donated to Portneuf in honor of Isaac Ryan Tanner, born April 21st, 2017. His family was one of the first in the state to use a Cuddle Cot and knows, first hand, the benefit it provides loved ones. “Portneuf Medical Center graciously accepted the CuddleCot and recognizes this device as a resource for grieving families,” Erica Willenbring, Little Joys Executive Director, said.
“The nurses who stand by bereaved parents want to do everything they can to provide the best care during the worst time because pregnancy and infant loss affects them too. By offering families access to the device, they are giving those parents choices and the gift of more time; an opportunity to create memories they otherwise may not be able to make.”
Little Joys Remembrance Foundation, a local 501(c)3 non-profit, raises funds to provide Idaho hospitals with Cuddle Cots as well as organize events that give grieving families a chance to remember and celebrate the memory of their Little Joy; defined as an infant lost before their first birthday. For more information about Little Joys Remembrance Foundation or future Cuddle Cot placements and remembrance events, please contact Executive Director Erica Willenbring at 208-298-9340, via email at ljrfidaho@gmail.com or by visiting www.littlejoysremembrancefoundation.org.