Bearing Hope gifts cuddle cot to St Helier Hospital

The bereavement room in the Maternity Department at St Helier Hospital has been gifted a brand new cuddle cot thanks to the continued fundraising efforts of Hollie Perry and Scott Eyre, in memory of their daughter Hope.

Marking the third anniversary of Hope’s birth, in August 2016, the local couple have provided the Maternity Department with a cuddle cot – a cooling pad which can be inserted into any type of baby bed, including Moses baskets, carry-cots and cots, to allow the families of babies who have passed away time to grieve.

In 2016, Hollie Perry and her partner Scott Eyre were told that their unborn daughter had Triploidy syndrome – a rare condition that meant Hope had an additional set of chromosomes and would be unlikely to survive for long. They made the heart-breaking decision to end the pregnancy, and although they have always sung the praises of the midwives and maternity staff, they recognised that the facilities available for families facing such a devastating time needed updating.

They launched the Bearing Hope campaign with the aim of raising £20,000 to overhaul the bereavement room, which after a full refurbishment, was opened on 6 August last year. Since then, Hollie has continued to add touches to the room such as kitchenware and soft furnishings, and the final addition to the room is the new cuddle cot.

Funding for the new cuddle cot was made possible thanks to a donation of £1,101 to the Bearing Hope campaign by Marks and Spencer, Sutton.

Hollie said: “After Hope arrived, we were given a cuddle cot and were able to spend a night and day with her in the single bereavement room. We knew that we had to cram in a lifetime of memories into just a few precious hours, and we will both remember the time we spent in that room for the rest of our lives.

“We knew that there wouldn’t be any more bedtime stories, no singing happy birthday to her as she grows up, and so every moment in the bereavement room meant so much to us. We will always treasure being able to spend time with Hope, dressing her, taking ink prints of her hands and feet.”

Director of Midwifery Marion Louki said: “We are so grateful to Hollie and Scott for sharing their story, and for continuing to fundraise for us in Hope’s name. Nothing can take away the pain of losing a baby, but it is absolutely vital that we do everything we can to support families and individuals during these times – our bereavement room and new cuddle cot will help us to do just that.

“On behalf of the Trust, we would like to say a big thank you to Hollie and Scott, their incredible hard work and courage has already made a huge difference to other bereaved parents.”

After gifting the cuddle cot, Hollie said: “We did this to help others – it wasn’t about us, we did this for anyone else who might have to use this room in the future, so that they can spend precious time with their baby. We are honoured to be able to create this legacy for Hope.”

Now that the bereavement room is complete Hollie would like to continue fundraising for new facilities on the Gynaecology Ward.

You can read more about Scott and Hollie’s story on their dedicated website, Bearing Hope.