In Memory of Louie James

Daniel and I have been having discussions about the right thing to do for Louie’s 1st anniversary/birthday this coming Wednesday. For a while now, I’ve wanted to raise funds and do something meaningful for other families and give back to the community. 

I’ve shared a lot with family & friends about our time in the hospital with Louie and that it’s the first thing that comes to mind when I think back about the last 12 months. All I can see & remember is him in his cot next to me. It led to me thinking about other families who may not have this precious time with their baby because a cuddle cot wasn’t available. That’s why we’ve chosen to support Bears of Hope and their cuddle cot fundraiser.

In honour of Louie’s 1st birthday, we would love the opportunity to raise funds for a cuddle cot. Before we lost Louie, I had never heard of a cuddle cot and didn’t understand what it was until the nurses bought it into our room. After his birth, he was placed in one, which allowed us to spend more time with him—he stayed right beside me that night. We are so incredibly grateful for the Angliss Hospital for giving us that time with LJ. 

It wasn’t until after our time in hospital when i used their resources for my own grief journey , that we realised just how expensive one was and that some hospitals don’t have one. Every year, many families in Australia experience the devastating loss of their baby. It’s an incredibly heartbreaking and traumatic time, a time when families need the most loving support and care.

We’re fundraising to donate a cuddle cot to a hospital in need, to support bereaved families. A cuddle cot is a cooling system that sits beneath a bassinet and allows families to keep their baby close, spend precious time, and create lasting memories before saying goodbye. It removes the distress of interrupted separation, allowing parents to cherish every moment without the worry of having to hand their baby back to staff too soon. 

Our goal is to raise $6,500, and we would be so grateful for your support.

The link is below if you’re in a position to help. Any contribution, no matter how small, can make a meaningful difference. We know these are tough times, so if you’ve read this; thank you from the bottom of our hearts. That alone means the world to us, and we hope it helps raise awareness of how important these cuddle cots are.

 Bianca and Daniel ❤️