HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital Breese issued the following announcement on April 4.
Losing a baby is one of the hardest things a family can go through. The Ruholl family of Teutopolis, IL lost their son, Daniel Anthony, on October 16, 2017 and the Nash/Hans family of Ramsey, IL lost their son, Khane Martin Hans, on August 28, 2018.
Out of their tragic experiences, the families wanted to offer comfort to others facing this same unimaginable difficulty, as well as honor the memory of their sons. The Ruholl and the Nash/Hans families held separate fundraisers to raise money to donate CuddleCots to local hospitals. By donating the CuddleCot system, families will fortunately not have to endure many of the very sensitive hardships these families experienced. The CuddleCot system has a cooling pad that is placed in a bassinet, which slows the infant’s physical changes, allowing the family to have more time with the baby upon his or her passing.
Both families worked with a non-profit organization called Madison’s Miracles based in Florida, which provides support and resources to grieving parents who have experienced still birth or infant loss. Madison’s Miracles was founded by Chris and Christina Stamper, who named the organization after their deceased daughter, Madison Elizabeth Stamper. They lost Madison to stillbirth 11 years ago. The Stamper’s did not have access to a CuddleCot at the time of Madison’s passing; therefore, they had limited time to say their goodbye’s to their daughter.
“The CuddleCot gives parents and families more time so photographs can be taken, hand and footprints can be done and parents can bond, giving them a healthier closure,” said Christina Stamper. So far, Madison’s Miracles have dedicated units in Florida, Pennsylvania, New York and recently at a number of Illinois hospitals.
On Thursday, March 21, St. Joseph’s Hospital Breese was presented with a CuddleCot donation. The CuddleCot donated to St. Joseph’s Breese came from a combined effort of the Ruholl and Nash/Hans families in memory of Daniel Anthony and Khane Martin.
Tasha Ruholl shared, “We wanted to do something to make the experience of losing a baby a little easier for other parents, and honor the memory of Daniel. After learning about the CuddleCot system, we knew we wanted to donate these to hospitals who might not be able to purchase one given the fact that stillbirths, fortunately, don’t happen every day. It is our hope that this will allow families the opportunity to create cherished moments and establish a sense of closure.”
To honor Daniel and Khane and in appreciation of their families’ generosity, HSHS St. Joseph’s Auxiliary Share Group will be placing a commemorative paver in the hospital’s Healing Garden or in a location of the families’ choice in Daniel and Khane’s memory.
Director of Women and Infants, Serra Morton, expressed the hospital’s appreciation to both families for their donation to the Women and Infants Center. “We are so grateful that we were chosen to receive the CuddleCot. It is very important to us to be able to offer comfort to others facing the same tragic loss through this CuddleCot donation. This will allow us to give parents and families the time they need to be able to say goodbye to their precious one,” she said. “We can’t thank the Ruholl family, the Nash/Hans family and Madison’s Miracles enough for the consolation that this will bring other families in the future.”
For more information on the Cuddle Cot and Madison’s Miracles, please visit madisonsmiracles.org. For more information about HSHS St. Joseph’s Women and Infants Center, visit St. Joseph’s web site at stjoebreese.com/Medical-Services/Women-Infants-Center
Photo: Dustin and Tasha Ruholl (left) and Ashley Martin (second from the right) and Christina Stamper (right) stand alongside Shelby Nash (center) while she reads a memorial she wrote for her nephew, Khane Martin Hans.
Original source can be found here.
Source: HSHS St. Joseph's Hospital Breese
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