Macie-Mae’s Legacy: Giving Families the Gift of Time and Choice

When a baby’s life is brief, every moment with them becomes precious. For families navigating this unimaginable journey, having the freedom to choose how and where they spend time with their baby can make all the difference. Macie-Mae’s story, shared by her loving parents, highlights the extraordinary impact of the CuddleCot. By enabling parents to hold, care for, and honour their baby, whether at the hospital, hospice, or at home, the CuddleCot supports families in creating memories on their own terms, offering both comfort and gentle cooling when it’s most needed.

Macie-Mae is our daughter. We found out we were expecting her on 22nd August 2024, after a very hard 4 years of trying &praying it would finally be our turn. We learned she was a girl on the 27th October 2024, and from the very beginning she was full of life, always moving, always jumping around my tummy, our little Tigger. We unexpectedly got the heart-breaking news that she no longer had a heart beat on the 12th January 2025. Losing her changed everything. And due to a broken CuddleCot in the hospital, we weren’t able to spend much time with her in there. She then went to a funeral home, where we later discovered her body was taken to the home of the funeral director. So really we didn’t get to spend much time with her. 

In the time of our grief, one of the most heartbreaking things were not being able to say goodbye with love and dignity. That experience is what led us to want to place CuddleCots for other families walking this unimaginable path.

We chose the hospital and hospice because they represent two places where families often experience the most vulnerable moments of their lives. These are spaces where compassion, time, and gentle care matter. Having a CuddleCot available in both settings ensures that families, no matter where their journey unfolds, are offered the chance to slow down, to bond, and to make memories with their baby without feeling rushed.

Honouring Macie-Mae’s legacy in this way means that her life, though heartbreakingly short, continues to bring comfort and love to others. It gives purpose to our pain. Through these CuddleCots, Macie-Mae is still helping other babies be held a little longer and other parents feel seen, supported, and validated in their grief.

Honouring Macie-Mae’s legacy in this way means that her life, though heartbreakingly short, continues to bring comfort and love to others. It gives purpose to our pain. Through these CuddleCots, Macie-Mae is still helping other babies be held a little longer and other parents feel seen, supported, and validated in their grief.

We continue to parent and remember Macie-Mae every day. On important dates, like her birthday, we sat at her grave, with a cake and her presents and still sung happy birthday.

We speak her name, light candles, visit special places, and do things that feel connected to her. She is brought into our family and our story, and always will be.

What we hope hospitals and hospices understand is that babies who die are still loved, they still matter and their parents are still parents. Compassionate care is about time,gentleness, and recognising the significance of these moments. Something as simple as offering time, privacy, and choices can make such a difference to grieving parents. 

Macie-Mae is no longer here but everyone will know her name, she’s made such a difference ❤️

Cody Townend – Mum to Macie-Mae

Thanks to Macie-Mae and her parents’ generosity in sharing her story, more families now have the opportunity to experience these precious moments in a way that feels right for them. The CuddleCot’s family-focused design ensures parents can choose whether their baby rests in the cot or in their arms while being gently and continuously cooled. Macie-Mae’s legacy is one of compassion, connection, and choice, a lasting gift that brings love and comfort to parents when they need it most.

Ask our team a question at info@cuddlecot.com

Learn more about fundraising: Family Donation Stories

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Parents’ CuddleCot Stories
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