Abi Cooling Cots

After the death of a baby, families often need space to hold, see and spend precious moments with their baby. The Abi Cooling Cot is a specially designed refrigerated cot which helps to maintain baby’s temperature, allowing parents to stay close, make memories, and say goodbye in a way that feels right for them and aids the grieving process.

We believe all hospitals, children’s hospices and funeral directors should have access to an Abi Cooling Cot. So far, we have delivered over 300 cots throughout the UK and Ireland. We recommend large hospital facilities have access to at least two Abi Cooling Cots on site, to ensure availability when needed.

The Abi Cooling Cot is for use in hospital departments, children’s hospices and funeral homes, intended for short term use and not designed for mortuary storage purposes.

Abi Cooling Cot Distribution Map

The map of Abi Cooling Cots distributed to hospitals, hospices and funeral homes is a powerful visual reminder of the difference Abigail’s Footsteps is making for bereaved families across the UK and beyond. Each marker represents far more than a piece of equipment; it reflects the love, courage and generosity of families who have chosen to donate in memory of their precious babies, helping others facing the heartbreak of baby loss to have precious time together.

0

Abi Cooling Cots donated to hospitals nationally

0

Abi Cooling Cots donated to hospitals Internationally

0

Abi Cooling Cots delivered to Children's Hospices

0

Abi Cooling Cots delivered to Funeral Homes

We’re inviting volunteer sewers to support our cot liner project and bring comfort to bereaved families during some of the hardest moments of their lives. These liners provide a soft, comforting touch to an Abi Cooling Cot.

With more than 300 Abi Cooling Cots now in use, and four handmade liners needed for every cot, the demand continues to grow. Each liner creates a soft, dignified resting place where babies can be held, loved, and cherished, giving families precious time together to create lasting memories.

Whether you’re able to sew one liner or many, your time and skill will make a meaningful and lasting difference.

Getting involved is simple. Follow our easy-to-use sewing pattern and step-by-step instructional video to get started.

Feedback from Families and Healthcare Professionals…

Abigail’s is more than a resource for parents. It supports long term development in the care for bereaved families. The charity is training and shaping, present and future care givers, demystifying the complexities of baby loss and creating a space for memories to be made with their supply of cooling cots. Abigail’s supported us in our darkest hours and so raising awareness for them is a privilege we hope to continue.

Sarah

Mum to baby kit

First of all I just wanted to thank you so much for starting up Abigail’s Footsteps, you have no idea how grateful myself and my partner was for the set up you have done in Medway Hospital. We stayed there for a night with our little girl Scarlett. Words really cannot describe how much that little bit of extra time we got to spend with our beautiful little girl meant to us. So thank you so much for that.

ALICE

Mum to baby SCARLETT

The past 6 weeks have really helped me to understand my grief, allowed me to talk through my feelings and allowed me to express my deepest thoughts.

I am so grateful to of had this opportunity, it has helped me through the darkest moment of my life. I would recommend specialist counselling to any parent who has lost a baby. I am so grateful to Abigail’s Footsteps for funding this fantastic service.

Mum

baby stillborn at 31 weeks

The Abi Cooling Cot is playing a very important part in the bereavement service that we strive to provide and enables parents to spend more time with their baby which is priceless at this difficult time. We are extremely grateful for the generous contributions from our donors.

Jo Morgan

Labour Ward Co-ordinator, North Devon Hospital

Bereavement care is one of the most challenging roles we provide. It is essential that maternity staff are equipped on both a practical and emotional level in order to support families following the loss of their baby during pregnancy, at birth, or very soon after.
I hope access to independent supervision sessions, provided through Abigail’s Footsteps, will become an integral part of our departments aim to ensure the mental wellbeing of all our staff.”

Bereavement Lead

Darent Valley Hospital, Kent