In Memory of Sebastian

Our son, Sebastian Gabriel, was stillborn on August 30, 2023. The day before, we learned his heart had stopped beating and it was the moment our lives changed forever. 

Like most people, we had not previously heard of a CuddleCot. Later learning that not every hospital has one, meaning not every grieving family has access to one during the worst moments of their lives, led us to fundraise for a CuddleCot in honor and memory of our son.

The CuddleCot mission is "giving grieving families the gift of time." That's exactly what it did for us. The CuddleCot is a cooling device that gives bereaved parents the invaluable gift of time. Without such a device, the baby's body would be exposed to temperature fluctuations, affecting the baby's appearance and limiting the parents' time with their baby. 

After delivering Sebastian, we were fortunate to be able to spend approximately 38 hours with our son. We held him, rocked him, talked and sang to him, cried for him, cleaned him and changed him, and took the only photos and videos we will ever have of our son. For Jason, specifically, as a dad who is not able to bond in the same way during the 9 months of Seb's development, it was invaluable to be able to spend that time meeting and carrying our son. It also allowed for more family members to meet him, though we wish all of our family and friends could have...6 total people in our family ever got the chance to see our son in person.

In memory of the first anniversary of Seb's passing, we are fundraising for a CuddleCot to be donated to a hospital (already identified) in North Texas. The cost of each CuddleCot is $3000, which includes 3-year manufacturer's warranty, a set of spare parts, and a set of custom memorial plaques. If you have the means to be able to contribute towards this fundraiser, we would be most grateful. Donations are tax deductible (as allowed by law). 

Thank you for reading our story and remembering our beautiful son Sebastian.

**FUNDRAISER ENDED**