The Christ Hospital and Ashlie’s Embrace are pleased to announce the placement of a CuddleCot™ at the facility. Ashlie's Embrace partnered with the McMasters family of Milford to donate the unit.

 

CuddleCots™ consist of a cooling unit and pad that lay in a bassinet or Moses basket and keep a baby cool after stillbirth or infant loss. The cool temperatures slow some of the natural changes that occur after death, which gives parents and families more time to grieve and say goodbye.

 

The device is manufactured and used extensively in the United Kingdom, yet there are fewer than 500 of them in U.S. hospitals.

 

Ashley and Michael McMasters’ daughter Ellie was stillborn in September 2016 at almost 38 weeks’ gestation. The McMasters knew that giving the gift of a CuddleCot™ would be a lasting way to remember their daughter.

 

“We wanted to give parents the option of spending extended time with their babies,” Ashley said.

 

Ashlie’s Embrace co-founder Erin Maroon agreed.

 

“We hope this CuddleCot™ will be a blessing to the parents faced with the shock of losing a child to stillbirth or shortly after birth,” said Erin Maroon, Ashlie’s Embrace co-founder. “We are honored the McMasters family chose us to help them honor their daughter’s legacy.”

 

“The CuddleCot will help us to provide more precious time to parents and families who are grieving the loss of their infants – time when they can hold, bathe, and dress their babies just like any other family would be able to do,” said Charla Payne, Perinatal Nurse Educator and Coordinator of Lactation and Childbirth Education at The Christ Hospital. “Families who have endured this loss and used this product have told us that it made all the difference to be able to provide their baby with the care and love that they would have if he or she would have been alive.”

About Ashlie’s Embrace: Ashlie’s Embrace, a registered 501(c)3 organization, was founded in 2016 by Erin and Anthony Maroon after the loss of their full-term daughter, Ashlie. Ashlie's Embrace provides comfort to grieving parents after stillbirth or early infant loss by increasing awareness of CuddleCots™ and making them available to parents through medical facilities.

About The Christ Hospital Health Network: The Christ Hospital Health Network is an acute care hospital located in Mt. Auburn with six ambulatory centers and dozens of offices conveniently located throughout the region. The Network is supported by more than 1200 talented physicians and 5800 dedicated employees. Their mission is to improve the health of the community and to create patient value by providing exceptional outcomes, the finest experiences all in an affordable way. They have been recognized by Forbes Magazine as the 24th best large employer in the nation in their America’s 500 Best Large Employers listing and by National Consumer Research as the region’s Most Preferred Hospital for 21 consecutive years. The Network is dedicated to transforming care by delivering integrated, personalized healthcare through its comprehensive, multi-specialty physician network. The Christ Hospital is among only six percent of hospitals in the nation to be awarded Magnet recognition for nursing excellence and among the top five percent of hospitals in the country for patient satisfaction. For more than 125 years, The Christ Hospital has provided compassionate care to those it serves.