Vanessa Green, 37, and her partner Steven Hall, 36, from Great Snoring, raised £2,437.83 through their annual Christmas lights switch-on, a festive raffle, and an online JustGiving page.
Their fundraising has helped provide vital equipment and comfort items for The Queen Elizabeth Hospital’s Maternity Unit, offering meaningful support to families during an incredibly difficult time.
The funds have been used to purchase a CuddleCot, a privacy pram, as well as small teddy bears and maternity clothing for bereaved families.
A CuddleCot is a specially designed cooling mattress that allows parents to spend precious extra time with their baby after they have died, either in hospital or at home. This time can be invaluable for families as they create memories and say goodbye in their own way.
The privacy pram is a discreet buggy used within the hospital to help families move sensitively between wards, the mortuary, or for peaceful final walks, including in hospital gardens.
These items sit alongside other forms of support available to bereaved families at QEH, including the Butterfly Garden — a dedicated, quiet space for reflection and remembrance. The Butterfly Garden was developed in partnership with families who have experienced baby loss, working closely with the Maternity and Neonatal Voices Partnership to ensure it truly reflects what families need at such a deeply personal time.
Vanessa and Steven were inspired to fundraise after their own traumatic experience nearly losing their first-born son, Stanley, to sepsis when he was just one day old. Thankfully, Stanley survived and is now a happy and healthy six-year-old- and brother to Sidney, two – but the experience stayed with the family.
Vanessa said: “Since that moment, I’ve always felt I wanted to give back to families who weren’t as lucky as we were. Steven and I know how incredibly fortunate we were, and if we can ease someone else’s pain, even just a little, that means everything to me.”
Each year, the couple decorate their home with Christmas lights and host a festive switch-on event — a tradition originally started by Steven’s father. This year, they chose to focus their fundraising on supporting bereaved families within the hospital’s Maternity Unit, helping ensure that compassionate care, dignity, and comfort remain at the heart of everything the team provides.
Initially setting a target of £1,500 – enough to purchase one CuddleCot – Vanessa and Steven knew they would need to do more than their annual lights event alone. They introduced a festive raffle and approached local businesses for support. The response from the community exceeded all expectations.
Prizes included gardening equipment, a £300 lawnmower, tickets to the Thursford Collection, food and drink vouchers, and family day-out experiences. The raffle alone raised £1,040, while the Christmas lights switch-on brought in £594.83, and the JustGiving page raised £803.
Esther Dorken, Head of Midwifery at The QEH, said: “We are incredibly grateful to Vanessa, Steven and the entire community for this wonderful donation. The CuddleCot and privacy pram will make a profound difference to families at an unimaginably difficult time, allowing them dignity, privacy and the precious gift of time with their baby.”
Chloe Barham, Bereavement Midwife at The QEH, added: “The generosity shown by Vanessa, Steven and their community is truly humbling. Equipment such as the CuddleCot and privacy pram gives families the time, space and dignity they need following the loss of a baby. These moments are incredibly precious, and this donation will make a real and lasting difference to the care and support we are able to offer bereaved parents at the most difficult time of their lives.”
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