According to the CDC, approximately 24,000 babies each year are stillborn in the United States.

While that is less than 1% of all pregnancies, it is ten times as many infants that die as a result of SIDS, or Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.

Delivering Change, Healthy Moms – Healthy Babies in Geary County has made a donation of the Flexmort CuddleCot to the Martha K. Hoover Women’s Center at Geary Community Hospital (GCH).

GCH will be one of the first hospitals in the state to offer to offer this device to bereaved parents that have a baby at Martha K. Hoover Women’s Center.

Jill Nelson, Delivering Change, said that the non-profit assists mothers throughout their pregnancy and those with unexpected outcomes should still be cared for.

“Sometimes we have an unfortunate end to a pregnancy, so we contributed what is called a CuddleCot…this donation will hopefully afford a family the time to spend with their baby and bond,” said Nelson.

The CuddleCot has been internationally recognized as significantly helping parents who suffer the loss of a baby – in many cases a child that is stillborn.

Time with the baby allows the family to form a bond; whether dressing the baby, taking photographs or simply just staying close – the CuddleCot allows the family to spend every moment with their baby.

“As a bereaved parent myself, I know that the time that we had in the emergency room with my son before he was taken away was crucial to our healing process; Delivering Change felt it was very important that we honor those families because we have been following them through their pregnancy and we are just as devastated as they are,” said Nelson.

Delivering Change is a non-profit project of the Geary County Perinatal Coalition.

Nelson was a guest on JC Now on 1420 AM KJCK – The Talk of JC.