When former Carlton couple Dion and Chloe Stavlas found out at the end of October last year that their baby’s heart had stopped beating at 37 weeks, their world came crashing down.
The baby was delivered a still-born by caesarean section the following day, because of a placental malfunction.
“A few days before our baby Chrissi was due, I was at home instinctively felt something was wrong – the baby had stopped kicking and scans confirmed [it],” Mrs Stavlas, 33, said.
“For anyone who has had a stillborn baby, the hardest part is watching everyone else walk out of hospital holding a newborn – while you leave clutching only a teddy bear.
“It was a devastating time, but what really helped was having the Cuddle Cot – a special device for stillborn babies that was donated to [Figtree Private] hospital from another mum who had lost her baby.”
Fitted with a blue electrical unit and insulated cold blanket, the cot provides a temporary resting place – enabling a fuller ‘cradle to grave’ experience for traumatised parents in need of comfort.
The couple donated the cot to the maternity ward at St George Private Hospital this month, to give other parents the opportunity to use it.
“It allowed us to spend time with our little Chrissi,” Mrs Stavlas said.
“It gave us closure and let us give her the love we had always wanted to give her – love that we would not be able to give her again.”
The couple is also raising money for Bears of Hope, to provide more of the cots to hospitals.
“We just want to be able to pay it forward to help other families through what it such a horrific loss,” Mrs Stavlas said.
St George Private Hospital Director of Clinical Services, Matt Wall, thanked the couple for their gesture of generosity.
“Six Australian families are affected by stillbirth every day,” he said.
“For Chloe and Dion to be able to think about others despite their heartache is truly selfless.”
On the day of the autopsy report, the couple was thrilled to find out they were expecting again.
Their third baby, a boy, is due at about the same time Chrissi was due to be born.