Jasmine’s Legacy gives Bereaved Families the Precious Gift of Time at Zoe’s Place Middlesbrough
Family’s heartbreak inspires fundraising for Abi Cooling Cot, ensuring other parents can spend precious days with their babies after loss
A family’s devastating loss has been transformed into a lasting legacy of love, with Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice Middlesbrough receiving an Abi Cooling Cot thanks to the fundraising efforts of local parents Sarah and Joe, in memory of their beloved daughter Jasmine. The cot has been donated through Abigail’s Footsteps, a charity dedicated to improving bereavement care for families following the loss of a baby. It will give families at Zoe’s Place the opportunity to spend precious time with their baby after they have died; to hold them, read to them, take photographs, create memories and say goodbye in their own time and in their own way. For Jasmine’s parents, Sarah and Joe, the donation is deeply personal. Following Jasmine’s sudden death, they experienced first-hand the profound difference a cooling cot made to their family. The cot enabled them to spend several days and nights with their daughter at their local hospital, precious time they describe as invaluable. That experience inspired Sarah and Joe to fundraise so that other families facing the unimaginable pain of losing a baby would have the same choice and opportunity. Now, because of their determination to turn their grief into something that could help others, a cooling cot has been donated to Zoe’s Place, creating a particularly poignant connection as Jasmine’s family live locally to the hospice. Sarah and her family will be able to visit the cot dedicated to Jasmine’s memory and see the difference it makes to other parents at the very moment they need compassion and support most.
Sarah, Jasmine’s mam, said:
“A year ago we were in a privileged position to have never heard of a cooling cot and I never realised how significant one would actually be. After Jasmine was born we were able to spend several days and nights with her. We read stories, had professional photos taken, had cuddles and just had the time with our beautiful girl. All the time we had was possible because we had use of a cooling cot who was donated by another family who went through the loss of their daughter.Before we even left the hospital myself and Joe already knew we wanted to fundraise to donate a cot in memory of our beautiful Jasmine. The thought of families not having the option of time in the worst moment of their lives is just unbearable to think about.”
Zoe’s Place Baby Hospice said:
“We are so grateful to Jasmine’s family for providing us with the Abi Cooling Cot. The cot has already benefited families and will continue to support many more in the future, bringing comfort during the most difficult moments of their lives. The opportunity for families to spend precious time together after the death of a child can have a profound emotional impact. This generous donation is a lasting legacy to Jasmine and a beautiful expression of the love her family have for her.”
For families experiencing bereavement, those additional hours and days can mean everything. An Abi Cooling Cot gently cools a baby’s body, allowing parents and loved ones more time together following their death. That time can help families begin to process their loss while creating memories they can treasure forever.
David Ward MBE, Co-Founder of Abigail’s Footsteps, said:
“When we had our daughter Abigail, we only had two or three hours with her. Having to say goodbye so soon was heartbreaking, and we knew we had to do something to support other grieving parents. The Abi Cooling Cot gives families the precious gift of time, allowing them to spend two or three days with their baby if they wish. Abigail’s Footsteps is committed to providing an Abi Cooling Cot to every hospital in the UK. Each special cot costs more than £3,000, and thanks to the generosity of our incredible supporters and fundraisers, we have now donated more than 300 cots across the UK.”
Since 2010, Abigail’s Footsteps has worked to improve the bereavement care received by parents following the loss of a baby. The charity provides Abi Cooling Cots to hospitals, children’s hospices and funeral homes across the UK, as well as bereavement training for healthcare professionals and support services for grieving families.
Alyssa Ely-Cook, Abi Cooling Cot & Family Liaison Coordinator at Abigail’s Footsteps, said:
“We are continually inspired by the strength, courage and generosity shown by families like Jasmine’s. Through this wonderful donation, Jasmine’s legacy will help ensure that families receiving care at Zoe’s Place have the precious gift of time with their baby during the most difficult of circumstances. We are incredibly grateful that her family chose to honour her memory in this way. This donation will support bereaved families for many years to come, creating a lasting legacy of love, compassion and hope.”
For Sarah, Joe and big sister Jessica, Jasmine will always be at the heart of their family. Through their decision to fundraise in her memory, her short life is now helping other families during moments of unimaginable heartbreak.The Abi Cooling Cot at Zoe’s Place is more than a piece of equipment. It is a gift of time, time to hold a baby close, to whisper words of love, to make precious memories and, when the time comes, to say goodbye.It is a lasting legacy for Jasmine, born from a family’s love for their daughter and their determination that other bereaved parents should never have to face that goodbye without the precious gift of time.