A BENDIGO couple has donated a "cold cot" to St John of God hospital, enabling parents of still-born babies the time and space to grieve.
A cold cot looks like a cot for a new born baby but also has an in-built refrigerator, which keeps the child's body cold so it is not required to be cooled in a traditional mortuary environment.
Chantel and Josh White lost a baby seven years ago and wanted to find a way to ease other couples' pain and honour their daughter.
Lily Grace White was the couple's first child and was still-born at about 23 weeks.
Following the birth, Mrs White came across the cold cot on a UK online support group.
When she found that none existed in Australia, the couple set about having some built for the two major maternity hospitals in Bendigo.
That way, Mrs White said, every family in Bendigo would have access to a cold cot if they needed it.
"If we can just help one family to ease their pain, then it's worth it," Mrs White said.
St John of God director of nursing and clinical services Jayne Boyle said the hospital saw about two still-births a year and the cot would be great help to families.
Ms Boyle said it was hard for the midwives to tell parents it was time to take their baby away to put it in the mortuary.
With the cold cot, midwives don't have to be involved in the parents accessing their baby, because it will be in the room with them and they can create memories with, and farewell their child in their own time.
The couple raised funds for the St John of God cold cot during an 'Angel Bed Golf Day Fundraiser' last year.
This cold cot is a new concept in Australia and is the second in Victoria, as the first went to Bendigo Health.
Melbourne company Trent Refrigeration donated time to engineer the cots, with the remarkable feature being the refrigerator is silent.
"We hope to give some peace and comfort to other parents who have to say goodbye to their child too soon," Mrs White said.
