Local nurse raises funds to support parents after loss of a newborn 

Ashley Agnitch and her family at Marian Regional Medical Center in Santa Maria.

Dignity health nurse raises funds for ‘Cuddle Cots’

– At 14 weeks of pregnancy, Ashley Agnitch was given the devastating news that her daughter, Greta Lynn, had a genetic abnormality and was not expected to survive pregnancy, labor, or delivery. Against all odds, baby Greta was born on April 12, 2017 and graced her family with five beautiful hours of life.

Bereaved families often experience early separation as their baby is taken to the morgue to slow the natural process that occurs after death, so after Agnitch’s experience, she researched bereavement resources and learned about the benefits of a Cuddle Cot. The cooling bassinet, manufactured in England, provides the gift of time to be spent bonding and saying goodbye when a family is ready.

Originally a labor and delivery nurse at Marian Regional Medical Center, and now caring for patients in the Stollmeyer Family Birthing Center at French Hospital, Agnitch knows firsthand how to comfort new parents, especially those that experience loss.

“I wanted to give local families precious time to bond with their babies. We found out early on that Greta wouldn’t survive, but not everyone is given that time to prepare,” says Agnitch. “Cuddle Cots offer both time and opportunity – the chance for families to have photos taken, offer a blessing over the baby, perform a baptism, and enable friends and family to meet the child. You will never get those moments back; that’s all you have. To give them precious time to make those beautiful memories is so important to me.”

Agnitch at French Hospital in San Luis Obispo.

To honor Greta’s memory, Agnitch initiated an online fundraiser to purchase Cuddle Cots – a resource that was previously unavailable for bereaved parents on the Central Coast – for the birthing centers at both French Hospital Medical Center and Marian Regional Medical Center. Her family, friends, and colleagues rallied around her and she raised in excess of $10,000 to purchase the cots.

Through Agnitch’s dedication and perseverance, both birthing centers are now equipped with Cuddle Cots. “My goal is to help as many families as I can,” Agnitch adds. “Through this process, we have learned that grief and joy can coexist. To allow parents the time to process loss, but still be able to find joy, laugh, smile, and be in the moment, gives me great happiness.”

For more information, visit dignityhealth.org/centralcoast.

About the author: News Staff

News staff of the A-Town Daily News wrote and edited this article from local contributors and press releases. Scott Brennan is the publisher of this newspaper and founder of Access Publishing. Connect with him on Google+, Twitter, LinkedIn, or follow his blog. He can be reached at [email protected].