Queensland’s public hospitals will receive 22 additional and three replacement Cuddle Cots, giving grieving parents essential time to make memories and say goodbye.
The Queensland Government invested close to $135,000 to ensure families have access to compassionate care.
This investment brings the total number of Cuddle Cots available across Queensland maternity units to 70.
Cuddle Cots are specialised cooling devices that give grieving families the ability to spend time holding and bonding with their baby after a stillbirth or neonatal death.
Each year across Queensland, between 700 and 800 families experience the devastating loss of a baby through stillbirth or within the first 28 days of life.
Mother and advocate Monica McCafferty, who lost her son Liam in April 2025, said access to a Cuddle Cot made an immeasurable difference to her family.
“The Cuddle Cot gave us time, time we never would have had otherwise, to hold Liam, to introduce him to his family and to say goodbye in our own time,” Ms McCafferty said.
“In those first few days of grief, that time is everything. It allowed us to begin processing what had happened and to create memories we will cherish forever.
“When the Cuddle Cot experienced issues, thankfully, a nurse and my husband were able to find a way to repair it. That experience is what drives our advocacy.
“It highlighted so clearly how important it is for families to have access to reliable equipment, no matter where they are, so they can spend that precious time with their baby with dignity and care.”
Monica is excited in the knowledge that more Queensland families will have access to a Cuddle Cot.
“Knowing that 22 new cuddle cots are going to be rolled out across 17 Queensland hospitals is incredible,” she said.
Knowing that grieving families will have that time and that our babies will have dignity in death means a lot to us.
"You don't get a second shot at goodbyes with your baby.”
Queensland Health’s Chief Midwife Officer Liz Wilkes said every single second matters when a family loses a baby.
“It's absolutely essential for grieving families to build the memories they planned to share over a lifetime,” Ms Wilkes said.
Cuddle Cots give them a chance to spend time, take in the environment, and start the grieving process.
“This has been a very important piece of work. Receiving a letter from Monica and advocating alongside her was upsetting, but being able to take something back to government and make a difference across so many hospitals is a true testament to her advocacy.
“It’s an essential part of compassionate bereavement care, and supporting each of these families through their grief is a critical part of Queensland Health’s maternity and neonatal care.”
The new cuddle cots are being delivered to Hospital and Health Services in Central Queensland, Cairns, Darling Downs, Mackay, Metro South, Sunshine Coast, South West, Townsville, Torres and Cape and Wide Bay.