A couple who experienced both joy and heartbreak over the birth of their twins have paid tribute to NHS staff who cared for them.
Baby Freddie Whyte sadly passed away just hours after he and his twin sister, Marnie, were born at University Hospital Wishaw, home to NHS Lanarkshire’s maternity services.
Mum Amy Brown and dad Josh Whyte, from Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, were devastated to lose Freddie but took comfort from the safe arrival of Marnie.
Now the couple has raised £3,000 to buy a cold cot for the hospital’s Neonatal Unit, with the support of baby loss charity Abigail’s Footsteps.
Amy said the refrigerated cot, which allows parents to spend time with a baby who has passed away, was the ideal donation to thank the staff who looked after them before and after the twins’ birth in October 2023.
She said: “The staff went above and beyond. The twins were born at 34 weeks and Marnie was immediately taken to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit because she needed help with her breathing.
“We wanted the family to be together so the staff made space for us to have a cold cot for Freddie in the unit, so we could be with both of our babies at the same time.”
Freddie had a rare kidney condition called bilateral renal agenesis and Amy and Josh were told 20 weeks into her pregnancy that he would not survive after his birth.
Amy, 29, a support worker, said: “When we were told we found it hard to believe. The maternity staff were very compassionate and supportive and put a plan in place for Freddie to be placed straight into our arms because we didn’t know if he’d live for minutes or hours.
“Marnie received excellent treatment and left hospital after six days. The whole family had the best of care from the team before and after I gave birth, including from the bereavement specialist midwifery staff.”
Josh, 29, a tyre fitter, added: “Because we’d used a cold cot, we decided to raise money to buy one for the hospital.
“I ran a 10K and then we held a special fancy dress event to mark the twins’ first birthday, raising funds by selling tickets and holding a raffle.”
The couple, who also have a two-year-old daughter, Millie, teamed up with Abigail’s Footsteps, which gives state-of-the-art Abi Cooling Cots to hospitals across the UK and Ireland. The charity, whose high-profile supporters include former Scotland rugby star Craig Chalmers, singer Cheryl Baker and TV presenter Julie Etchingham, asks donors to raise £3,000 to provide a cot.
Co-founder, David Ward MBE, said: “When we had Abigail, we only had two or three hours with her. The Abi Cot allows people to have longer if they wish. Thanks to the generosity of those who fundraise for us we’ve been able to donate over 250 cots to hospitals across the UK.”
Cheryl Clark, NHS Lanarkshire Director of Midwifery, said: “The Abi Cot, which has a memorial plaque for Freddie, will be placed in the Coorie Inn, our special accommodation for bereaved families.
“This generous donation from Amy and Josh will bring a lot of comfort to other parents who have lost a child.”
