St Leonards mum's fundraising drive for cuddle cot for Conquest Hospital

Sheraya Stafford, 19, of Warrior Square, St Leonards, has set up a JustGiving page online and received more than £1,200 in sponsorship so far.

She is aiming to raise £1,700 towards the piece of equipment for the hospital.

A cold or cuddle cot is a term used to describe a piece of equipment designed to keep a baby’s body cool after its death and can be connected to a moses basket.

Sheraya said: “I set this up so a new cold cot can be donated to the Conquest. What it does is allows the family of the child, who has passed away, extra time with them as it keeps baby’s body at the temperature it needs to be.”

Sheraya told the Observer that the fundraising drive was close to her heart, as she lost her two baby boys three months ago.

She first heard about cuddle cots from doctors at the Conquest.

The mum lost her baby boys due to complications during her pregnancy.

Sheraya said: “I lost my two little twin boys when I was pregnant at 22 weeks +5 on November 10 last year.

“They were placed in the cot on the night they had been born and have been with me ever since. Currently on the third night, there is no rush to leave as the cuddle cot does the job needed.

“My boys have been moved to a normal cot as a lady lost her little girl and is in need of the use of the cuddle cot the boys were using.

“The loss of a baby happens way too often and the donation of one of these would be hugely appreciated.

“Just knowing that it gives the family extra time with their little ones makes the time of losing the child just a bit more easier.

“The Conquest helped my partner, Danny Rea, and I through all of this.”

Sheraya is also looking for donations of wool, buttons and thread in aid of Cherished Gowns UK, a charity which makes burial gowns for babies.

Visit www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sheraya-stafford or search for Sheraya Shae on Facebook.

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