On July 31, the Birthing Program team at Georgian Bay General Hospital (GBGH) gathered to celebrate the arrival of a CuddleCot™, a generous donation from the Maxwell George Fleming (MGF) Foundation.
Based in Toronto, the MGF Foundation’s mission is to provide hospitals in Canada with CuddleCots™, which allow bereaved families experiencing the loss of an infant the ability to spend more physical time with their child. The gift to GBGH is the MGF Foundation’s first donation.
“We are very excited to be receiving this innovative bassinet for use with our bereavement families,” says Jen Mercer, Shared Services Manager for the Birthing Program at GBGH and Orillia Soldier’s Memorial Hospital (OSMH). “The grief experienced with infant loss can be devastating. The addition of a CuddleCot™ to our developing bereavement program means we can offer families the choice to spend as much time with their baby as they wish before leaving the hospital.”
Thanks to the Shared Birthing Program between GBGH and OSMH, a more robust bereavement program is being developed at Georgian Bay General Hospital. Having a CuddleCot™ will enhance the program by allowing families to have more time with their baby before saying goodbye, which can assist with the grieving process.
“We chose GBGH for our first donation as my husband and I have family ties to the area,” says Jessica Fleming, founder of the MGF Foundation. “We wanted to have an impact in a small community, and are so pleased to hear about the work being done to redevelop the birthing and bereavement programs at GBGH.”
For more on this donation or the GBGH Foundation contact:
Jennifer Russell
GBGH Foundation
705-526-1300 ext 5339
russellj@gbgh.on.ca
Jessica Fleming
MGF Foundation
416-908-3433
j.paciocco@hotmail.com
About the MGF Foundation
The Maxwell George Fleming Foundation is a non-profit corporation which strives to provide as many hospitals as possible with CuddleCots™ so that all families experiencing the devastating loss of a baby have the opportunity to spend more time with their child should they choose to do so.