Rhian Burke, Aaron Wyatt and Deri Bond with the cold bet donated in memory of their daughter Cayla
Two amazing families whose children have passed away are keeping the memories of their loved ones alive by donating a cold bed to the Emergency Unit at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff.
Deri Bond and partner Aaron Wyatt, along with the charity, 2 Wish upon a Star, have been fundraising to provide a cold bed for use in the Emergency Unit.
Cayla Bond Wyatt, was born at 23 weeks and five days. Mum, Deri and her partner Aaron, were heartbroken when she died at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff on 26 May 2014.
Deri and Aaron were able to spend extra time with their daughter when midwives at the Neonatal Unit placed Cayla into a “cold cot” – a refrigerated cot which slows down the deterioration of the baby.
Deri said: “The cold cot was important for us as it gave us the time to spend with Cayla to say our goodbyes properly to her. We’ll never get over losing her.”
2 Wish upon a Star charity was set up by Rhian Burke, whose son George passed away a week after his first birthday. Five days later, Rhian sadly lost her husband Paul. Throughout her grief, Rhian gained strength from the idea of raising money for Emergency Units and Paediatric Intensive Care Units throughout Wales, this led to the establishment of this very special charity.
Rhian said: “We’re very pleased to have supported Deri and Aaron with the donation of the cold bed. The bed was given to the Emergency Unit in memory of little Cayla and it has her handprint on the plaque. The bed will allow parents to have a longer period of time with their child before saying the final goodbye.”
The bed, with a built-in cooling system, allows babies and children who have passed away to remain with their families, so those families spend more time with their child and say their goodbyes in a normal ward environment. This “extra time” also helps families deal with the grieving process. Cold beds also enable family members to travel to visit and meet the child, and also for siblings to meet one another.
Tracey Skyrme, Senior Nurse in Bereavement Services said: “Having access to a cold bed makes such a difference. It gives parents the option to spend as much time as they like with their child, allowing them this precious time without the fear of the baby needing to be taken away to be kept cool in a traditional mortuary. On behalf of Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, I would like to thank Deri, Aaron and Rhian for this donation.”
