Grange Donates CuddleCot to Lincoln City Hospital July 24, 2023 Despite advances in medical science, many new parents will experience a stillbirth or the death of a newborn. A cooling bassinet known as the CuddleCot gives families the gift of time with their precious baby, helping them form memories and say goodbye. Earlier this month, members of the Warner Grange and Clackamas Pomona Grange donated a CuddleCot cooling system to the Family Birthing Center at Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital in Lincoln City. The gift was gratefully accepted by the unit’s nurse manager, Jen Pierce, BSN, RN. The monetary value of the gift is approximately $3,500 but the impact on grieving families is priceless. “I am in awe of this generous, compassionate donation,” Pierce said. “As a nurse who has worked for nearly 30 years delivering babies, this is just so special and deeply meaningful.” Pierce shared that during her years working at a large metropolitan hospital in Arizona, she helped to deliver more than 13,000 babies. Sadly, with the nation’s infant mortality rate of 5.4 deaths per 1,000 births, she has been a witness to much heartache. Manufactured in England, the CuddleCot uses a quiet cooling unit to preserve the baby at an ideal temperature without being too cold for the parents. The CuddleCot donation was arranged by Don Kingsborough of the Clackamas Pomona Grange. Kingsborough has lived part-time in Lincoln City for many years and said he considers this to be his community, too. When he asked his fellow Grangers about donating a CuddleCot to the Lincoln City hospital, the response was entirely positive. The Clackamas Pomona Grange and the Warner Grange raised enough money with silent auctions and dinners to purchase and donate a dozen CuddleCots to hospitals throughout the state: Portland, Bend, Tillamook, Coquille, Astoria and now Lincoln City. This is the first donation made since the pandemic ended. CuddleCot at Newport Hospital The birthing center at Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital has had a CuddleCot since July 2018. It was donated by the Pacific Communities Health District Foundation, using funds raised during the annual Samaritan Employee Caring Campaign. About the Grange The Oregon State Grange, founded in 1873, is a nonprofit and nonpartisan fraternal organization that advocates for rural America and agriculture. Membership is open to all regardless of age, sex, race, religion or political persuasion. As a family organization, the Grange offers programs and activities for family members ages 5 and older.
