The Teal Journey Ovarian Cancer Foundation

Turning grief into healing

Dignity Health Nurse Raises Funds for Cuddle Cots to Support Parents after the Loss of a Newborn

A Cuddle Cot is a cooling bassinet that provides the gift of time as it allows the baby to room-in with the family

At 14 weeks of pregnancy, Ashley Agnitch was given the devastating news that her daughter had a genetic abnormality and was not expected to survive pregnancy or delivery. Against all odds, baby Greta Lynn was born on April 12, 2017, and graced her family with five beautiful hours of life.

In such situations, a bereaved family may be separated from their infant in an amount of time that often feels too short. The baby is taken to the morgue to slow the natural process that occurs after death. After her own experience, Ashley researched possibilities to extend a family’s time together, hoping to allow other families to say goodbye at their own pace.

She learned about the benefits of a Cuddle Cot, a cooling bassinet designed to provide the gift of additional time to families. As a labor and delivery nurse, Ashley knows firsthand how to comfort new parents, especially those that experience loss. Ashley initiated a fundraiser to purchase Cuddle Cots for Central Coast hospitals to honor Greta’s memory. Thanks to her dedication, Marian Regional Medical Center’s birthing center is now equipped with a Cuddle Cot. This resource was previously unavailable for bereaved parents on the Central Coast.

“I wanted to give local families precious time to bond with their babies, and the Cuddle Cots offer both time and opportunity—the chance for families to take photos, offer a blessing, perform a baptism, and enable friends and family to meet the child. To give them time to make those beautiful memories is so important,” says Ashley. “Through this process, we have learned that grief and joy can coexist. To allow parents the time to process loss but still be able to find joy, laugh, smile, and be in the moment with their baby, gives me great happiness.” 

To honor Greta’s memory, Ashley initiated an online fundraiser to purchase Cuddle Cots – a resource that was previously unavailable for bereaved parents on the Central Coast – for the birthing centers at both French Hospital Medical Center and Marian Regional Medical Center. Her family, friends, and colleagues rallied around her and she raised in excess of $10,000 to purchase the cots.

Through Ashley’s dedication and perseverance, both birthing centers are now equipped with Cuddle Cots. “My goal is to help as many families as I can,” Ashley adds. “Through this process, we have learned that grief and joy can coexist. To allow parents the time to process loss, but still be able to find joy, laugh, smile, and be in the moment, gives me great happiness.”

Cuddle Cot with Agnitch FamilyAshley Agnitch and her family with the Cuddle Cot they donated to Marian.