Helping others through infant loss

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According to the National Institutes of Health, 1 out of every 160 pregnancies in the U.S. ends with a stillbirth. Several years ago at Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center, Robin Hicken’s son Austin became part of that statistic.

Seven months into her pregnancy, Robin went in for a regular checkup and received devastating news – her doctor was unable to find Austin’s heartbeat. Three days later, Austin was stillborn. After only a few short hours with Austin, Robin never got to see him again.

On July 28, 2016, the Hicken family, along with another family whose daughter was stillborn, hosted an event to raise money for a CuddleCot for each of the facilities where their babies were born. Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center was one of those facilities.

The CuddleCot is a cooling system for a Moses basket bassinet that allows families to extend the amount of time they have to spend with their child, if they choose. Each CuddleCot costs $3,000.

“Our goal is to provide a CuddleCot for grieving parents,” Hicken said. “I don’t even remember holding my baby. I have no concept of the time I had to spend with him. If I had had a CuddleCot, it would have allowed me to get myself together after the fog of being in surgery, prepare myself and start the grieving process.”

Both women said they had been looking for a way to honor their children’s lives and give back to the community when they learned about the CuddleCot. “It will help you or someone you love in the future,” Hicken explained.

Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center Foundation is privileged to help families honor their loved ones in ways that improve and save the lives of others in our community.

Donate today to the Novant Health Brunswick Medical Center Foundation.

Contact us to discuss how you can honor a loved one.