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Hayley Wilkins, who went into labour with her first child in January 2013, never thought she would be able to see it breathe.
Hayely collapsed during an emergency C Section at Hospiten Estepona. She was put into a induced coma. Sienna Elizabth Rose O’Shea died at 40 weeks after being born.
A funeral director took her child away while Hayley was in a coma.
In the United Kingdom, where Hayley is from, most if not all hospitals have ‘cuddle cots.’ These beds are equipped with a cooling device and allow families to grieve with their stillborn babies.
But this isn’t a practice that’s common in Spanish hospitals.
Hayley, who had spent nine months in a coma, woke up to find that her baby had died. She also couldn’t hold her own baby.
“It’s one of the worst days of my entire life,” she recalls. “The cuddle-cot will never bring Sienna back, but it would make a big difference to have her close and be able spend more quality time with her.”
Hayley is determined to pass this gift on to other parents.
She raised enough funds (each cuddle cot costs approximately 2500 Euros each, including shipping charges and custom duties) to purchase 3 cuddle cots.
Two were sent to Estepona Hospiten, and Quiron Salad in Marbella. The third is going to a hospital located in Madrid.
Hayley states that “these hospitals can be prepared for worst-case scenarios and provide the best possible care to their patients.”
Natalie Claytor, who lost her baby Oliver in 2020, has also joined forces with this mum. They are asking more hospitals to contact them and join their waiting list.
“Unfortunately it happens more frequently than we realize, and the subject is still taboo. Natalie explained that she didn’t want parents to rush to spend their only time with children before having to say goodbye.
Every day I wish that I could have spent more time with Oliver. If I could go in time, i would have hugged Oliver a little more than the last time.
Hayley is trying to change the conversation in Spain about stillborn babies. “I received no counseling or support following my stillbirth,” says Hayley.
In comparison to the UK, bereavement nurses are available for new families. Hospitals are equipped with materials to help grieving parents process their stillborn child.
Hayley makes comfort boxes that she gives to new mums. Sleep gowns made out of recycled wedding dresses are being produced by a Manilva-based local. Also included is an inkpad to record baby’s foot prints.
It leaves a legacy to Sienna that her death wasn’t in vain.
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