Bereaved mum organises fun day to raise money for new stillborn cot at Luton and Dunstable Hospital

Chynna Desaxe, 32, delivered her baby, Navy, via Caesarean section last October at the Luton and Dunstable hospital. She said: “It was just the weirdest experience. I've had two sections before and it was just a whole different thing. It was completely silent. No one spoke to each other.”

Chynna and her husband, Louie, buried their baby a month later and began raising money for a changing table within the hospital’s bereavement suite. She explained: “They still go to the toilet after they’ve died. No one knows that. So why isn’t there a changing unit in there?”

The mum has donated bears to the ward which are given to families who have lost children. Chynna also stocked the changing table with blankets, nappies and poems – the same ones which were read out at Navy’s funeral.

Now, she has organised a fun day at a church in Warden Hill to help her get more donations to improve the suite further. The most expensive item is a cold cot. This specialist cot is refrigerated so bereaved parents can spend precious time with their child. But the Luton and Dunstable hospital currently only has one.

Chynna explained: “Without a cold cot, they can't spend time with their baby. They can't be with their baby for as long as they want after. What happens if this happens to two families at once?”

“That's what the fundraiser is about - ticking off as many items from the hospital list as we can.”

Sally Sloane was the bereavement midwife who looked after Chynna and her family. She said: “[A cold cot] gives families the opportunity to spend time with their babies. Everyone is different. They have such a short time to make a lifetime of memories. It is the worst thing possible, but to have people like Chynna involved and to have experience of what the families are going through, is vital.”

Miss Pushpakala Maharajan, clinical director for women’s services at Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “We are extremely grateful for Chynna’s fundraising in aid of our bereavement services, despite going through such a heart-breaking time herself.

“With support from amazing fundraisers like Chynna, we can continuously work to improve the care bereaved parents receive, enhancing our facilities and ensuring they have a calming environment during this time.”

Children at Warden Hill Infants and Warden Hill Junior Schools will wear navy for Navy during a non-uniform day on October 20, with all the donations from pupils going to Chynna’s fundraiser for the hospital.

She has invited anyone in Luton to join in and put on navy clothes and donate to her page here. She explained: “This is my only motivation right now.”

Midwife Sally added: “It is coming from a heartfelt place, the work she is doing is incredible and the impact she is having on other families and across social media. It is a great way to keep the legacy of Navy going.”

The fun day is at St John’s Methodist Church Hall on Birdsfoot Lane in Warden Hills on Saturday, October 28 from 12pm until 4pm. It is free to attend and there will be games, a bouncy castle, a raffle, kids activities, hot food and a fire engine in attendance.

Visit the GoFundMe page to donate to the appeal.