Blackburn mum donates CuddleCot to a hospital in Mallorca in memory of her stillborn daughter
Sarah Parsons from Blackburn who set up a charity after her daughter was stillborn has donated a CuddleCot to a hospital in Mallorca, after learning there were none on the island. Sarah’s daughter Maggie was stillborn two days before her due date, eight years ago.
She and her husband Mark were able to spend three precious days with their daughter, thanks to the CuddleCot, which preserves the baby’s body so that parents and families can spend time with them after they pass away.
Since then, Sarah has dedicated her life to raising money to help grieving parents in a similar situation to cope with losing a baby and set up a charity in her daughter’s name – ‘Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy’.
After visiting her father in Mallorca, Sarah was shocked to learn that there were no CuddleCots at any of the hospitals on the island.
Sarah said: “We got three days with Maggie. My dad, stepmum and sister all flew over from Mallorca to meet her.
“When I found out they didn’t have a CuddleCot on the whole island, I thought to myself, ‘What would happen out there to families like mine?'”
Along with the CuddleCot, Sarah also donated ‘Maggie’s Legacy’ memory boxes to Manacor Hospital, which are given to parents after the loss of a baby in order to make special memories with them.
The boxes include items like hand and footprints, a teddy bear to send with their baby and a matching one for parents to keep, a handmade angel keyring and many other items.
Sarah said: “I think it’s so important because it’s the only time and the only memories you are going to get with your baby.”
Sarah was heartbroken at the thought of families not having the same, precious experience that she and Mark did, so she was determined to provide more CuddleCots to more hospitals. Sarah has helped to train the staff at Manacor Hospital on how to use the CuddleCot and they now have a dedicated team to support families who need to use it.
The journey has been an emotional one for Sarah, but one she was glad to do, for the parents who will go through the trauma of losing a child and for her daughter Maggie.
Sarah said: “I hope Maggie is proud.
“I don’t ever want her to be forgotten, because she is my only child and she’s my world.”
Sarah was also named as a Regional Fundraiser of the year in 2021 by Pride of Britain. She has raised over £60,000 to date and does not plan on stopping her fundraising mission in her daughter’s name any time soon. Sarah has recently raised enough to provide a new CuddleCot to a local funeral home and dedicates her days to Maggie’s Stillbirth Legacy.