Abigails Footsteps
The Club were approached by Abigails Footsteps, a charity that provides support and counselling for bereaved parents and families, as well as specialist bereavement training for midwives and healthcare professionals, to provide an Abi Cot for the Hope Butler Suite at Pembury Hospital. The cots are specially designed with a refrigerated system that allows parents to spend more time with their deceased baby than would otherwise be possible, helping them through the grieving process.
Marion Brooks, President of Maidstone Lions Club said "We are very happy to donate an Abi Cooling Cot to the bereavement suite at Pembury Hospital. It was an honour to make a small contribution towards helping local families at what must be the most tragic times."
Marion and Peter Hooper met Harriet Whyatt, Specialist Bereavement Midwife at Pembury Hospital and saw where the cot would be used to help families bereaved by the loss of a baby.
Harriet said, "Thank you to Abigail's Footsteps and Maidstone Lions for the donation of our new Abi cot – the time a family spends with their baby when they have died is so limited and precious. This cot will help make treasured memories for parents who have to go through the most devastating experience anyone could imagine'