A “courageous” couple who suffered a tragic stillbirth have donated a cuddle cot to a city funeral home to help support other families.
Michelle Annand and Robert Anderson raised money through donations from family, friends and kind-hearted strangers.
The special refrigerated cot was designed so that grieving parents can spend more time with their babies before they are buried or cremated.
The £1,600 kit has been donated to Gordon & Watson Funeral Home in memory of their daughter Demi-Leigh who died in 2013.
Mr Anderson, of Aberdeen, said: “We wanted to help out other families and give them the opportunity that we didn’t have.
“At the time we hadn’t actually heard of a Cuddle Cot, so we decided to raise the money for it.
“We know how it feels in that situation to have limited time with your child.”
Miss Annand said: “Giving families that extra time means the world to us.”
Most of the money raised for the cot came from a charity raffle held as part of the fundraiser.
Mr Anderson said it was a difficult experience for parents to face losing their child.
He added: “At the time you’re all over the place and it’s a really hard thing to go through.
“But given time these families will appreciate having had the opportunity to use the Cuddle Cot.
“It’s not a situation which anybody wants to be in, but a lot of families go through it.”
Annette Macdonald, the funeral home’s business manager, said the cot would now give parents the opportunity to spend time at home with their babies.
She said: “It was a very courageous thing for them to be able to do after the loss of their own baby.
“I’m touched by it and their courage to want to give something back to other families in their position.
“When anybody passes there are time limits for how long somebody can spend with their loved one, and this Cuddle Cot will let mums and dads spent a little more than they normally would have, which is very important.”
