CuddleCot Donated to Flowers Hospital Center for Women and Children
9/9/2020
Nashville Family with Dothan Ties Donates CuddleCot in Memory of Their Daughter
Martin and Jane Wiegand of Nashville recently donated a CuddleCot to Flowers Hospital in memory of their daughter, Frances Marie Wiegand.
A CuddleCot is a cooling system placed in a bassinet that is used to preserve an infant’s body in the event of a stillbirth or other loss of life. The CuddleCot allows grieving parents more time with their baby and an opportunity to make memories before having to say goodbye. Without a CuddleCot, parents may only be able to spend a short amount of time with their baby.
When the Wiegand’s lost their daughter on January 23, 2020, access to a CuddleCot helped ease their pain by allowing Francie to remain in the room for the duration of their hospital stay.
In June 2020, Jane created a Go Fund Me page, Francie's CuddleCot Fund, to help raise money to purchase CuddleCots for other hospitals. So far, the Wiegand’s have donated four CuddleCots to various hospitals, including hospitals in each of their hometowns. Jane graduated high school from Houston Academy and her father, a cardiovascular surgeon, practiced at Flowers Hospital from 2001 to 2009. Jane chose to donate a CuddleCot to Flowers Hospital to help Wiregrass families who are grieving the loss of an infant.
“This is a very special donation for us and we are grateful to now be able to offer this resource to families suffering a heartbreaking loss,” said Jeff Brannon, Flowers Hospital CEO. “We appreciate the generosity of the Wiegands and all those who helped make this possible to honor the life of Francie.”
Pictured L to R: Carol Chandler, RNC, Flowers Hospital assistant director of child and maternal services; Jane Wiegand; Martin Wiegand
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