Lucy and Adam Lindsley, alongside little sister Hope, have donated a cuddle cot to the newly refurbished mortuary at University Hospital of North Durham in loving memory of their son, Hunter William Lindsley.
A cuddle cot is a specialist cooling device which allows bereaved families to spend precious additional time with their baby following their death.
Hunter, Lucy and Adam’s first child, was born on 19 March 2023. The family returned home the following day, but tragically, when they checked on Hunter later that evening, he had stopped breathing. Despite the efforts of the emergency services, Hunter could not be revived.
Determined to honour Hunter’s memory and support other families experiencing baby loss, Lucy and Adam took on the Lake District Three Peaks Challenge, raising more than £4,000 for baby loss charities. With the support of 4Louis, part of the funds raised has now gone towards providing a cuddle cot for use at University Hospital of North Durham.
Lucy said: “After Hunter died, we were able to spend some time with him and one of the things we noticed was how well cared for Hunter was by the mortuary team. Providing a cuddle cot to help support other bereaved parents in all settings of the hospital is our way of honouring him and keeping his memory alive.”
The family hope the donation will provide comfort and support to other parents facing the heartbreak of losing a baby, while ensuring Hunter’s memory continues to make a difference to others.
Hunter, Lucy and Hope Lindsley with the cuddle cot in memory of Hunter.