Couple Raise Funds To Help Grieving Parents After The Loss Of A Baby

Jarrod and Diane Ifield’s lives were turned upside down when their son, Jaxon was born with complex medical conditions on October 20, 2022, at 4:53 pm

After what the couple described as a brief but profoundly cherished moment, Jaxon peacefully rested at 5:36 pm on the same day.

“He had hydrops, chylothorax and ascites,” Mr Ifield said.

“These conditions made his time with us incredibly short, but every moment was filled with immeasurable love.

“In those precious minutes, the cuddle cot became our lifeline.

“It allowed us to hold him close, whisper sweet words, and create memories that we will forever cherish.

“It gave us the invaluable gift of time to say hello and goodbye.

“The beauty of the cuddle cot was that it was available to us for as long as we needed it after Jaxon had passed.

“It provided a safe and comforting space for our family to spend those precious hours without the worry of time running out.”

This devastating loss occurred just 11 days prior to Halloween, leaving the Ifields with the decision as to whether or not to move forward with their annual Halloween display or Christmas display.

For the sake of their two other children, Hannah and Mason, they decided to push through.

Their personal experience with Jaxon made them realise that not all hospitals had invaluable cuddle cots, and not every family had the privilege to create lasting memories.

Last year, the Ifields put out a donation tin to raise money to help ensure every Australian family had access to a cuddle cot.

They will do so again this year, their tenth and final Halloween display.

From this year on, they will focus on their Christmas display as they put out their donation collection box for cuddle cots.

The Ifield are fundraising for a cuddle cot to be donated to an Australian hospital, funeral home or hospice to support bereaved families in the crucial days after the loss of their baby.

A cuddle cot is a cooling system that lays beneath the baby within a bassinet, enabling families to keep their baby close and create beautiful memories and spending as much time as they wish with their little one before saying goodbye.

Their fundraising goal is $6500.

At the time of this article, they had achieved $5272.

Online donations can be made at https://cuddlecot.gofundraise.com.au/page/Jarrod-16846177

• Topics:

• Living and Lifestyle
• Fundraiser