Hilary Grierson from Crouch End has been raising funds for cooling cots in memory of her son, Hamish, who died during labour at The Whittington in 2012.
The cots, also known as “cuddle cots,” are refrigerated units that allow bereaved parents to spend more time with their baby after death.
She first raised funds after Hamish’s death — “a way of saying thank you for the care and compassion we received”.
Those cots now need replacing, and after a fundraising quiz, charity Abigail’s Footsteps has arranged for a new one to be supplied to The Whittington.
Ms Grierson hopes continuing to share Hamish’s story will help raise awareness of baby loss and encourage more open conversations.
She said: “Before Hamish, I had read about baby loss and thought it was really sad but didn’t realise how common it was.
“When I posted about it I had people of my parents’ generation reaching out saying: ‘My first baby died and I have never spoken about it’.
“I’ve opened up the conversation and I will keep it going, to make sure it’s not a taboo subject, and let people know we do want names mentioned and messages from friends.”
The cooling cots are supplied by Abigail’s Footsteps in partnership with The Bond Group .
The charity has delivered cots to more than 100 hospitals and hospices in the UK and Ireland. Its mission is to encourage all bereavement suites in hospitals to have at least two cooling cots.
As well as the cots, there are Moses baskets with little freeze packs in the bottom for premature babies, so parents can spend as much time as they need.
Ms Grierson added: “As many of you know, we didn’t have a refrigerated cot when Hamish was born. We were able to spend time with Hamish to create memories, but the time was limited.
“Hamish was unable to create his own legacy, so with the support of family and friends we will write it for him.”
She also organises an annual walk during Baby Loss Awareness Week to a memorial oak on Parkland Walk in Highgate.
The tree is decorated with wooden tags bearing the names of babies who have died, offering a place of comfort and remembrance for families.
North and East London Sands, a charity supporting those affected by baby loss, holds a monthly support group for bereaved families.
Fundraising for a new cot continues at https://www.justgiving.com/page/babyhamish.
