No time is ever enough when you have suffered the loss of your little one. Thanks to the CuddleCot™ donation from the Tidwell and Homan families, the Copland-Emerson Family Birth Center is able to offer extended time for those parents and their families to bond and grieve the loss of their child. A CuddleCot™ is a cooling unit that gives families the gift of time, allowing for their precious angel to be at their bedside during their hospital stay. This is Miller's Story (written by his mother, Meaghen Tidwell).
"Indescribable. This is the only word that comes to my mind when I think about October 15, 2021. We are broken but so very grateful.
After feeling no movement and being unable to find a heart beat on our Doppler, I went to the ER in the early hours of that Friday morning. The ER and OB confirmed the news that I was not ready to hear. Our sweet boy went to sleep and woke up in heaven.
The OB immediately began prepping me for a C-section to deliver my sweet boy. Through the extra precautions, due to a recent COVID-19 positive on October 8, multiple labs were ordered. They quickly discovered that my bloodwork was abnormal and suggested that I was much sicker than I had known. After further review with several providers, the team made the decision to transfer me to OSU Labor and Delivery, specifically to the high risk team. It was then that I was told my conditions were a combination of COVID-19, Liver Dysfunction, and Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC).
We made it to Columbus by squad around 3:00 and the team here started assessing. After much consulting with the top OB's in the state, the team determined that a C-section was likely the safest route but only after multiple units of blood product were pumped in my body and additional labs confirmed I was as stable as possible.
Miller Michael Tidwell was born at 9:08 pm. He was 14 inches long and just shy of two pounds. He is my miracle and my angel. This little boy saved my life and is the reason that DIC didn't take me from my four at home and my husband. Our hearts are shattered. Miller was loved, wanted, and the void we feel is vast. Our dream is to ensure that more good comes out of his passing than bad. We are hoping to donate as many CuddleCot™ in Miller's name as possible. While I hope no family ever finds themselves in this situation, I hope the CuddleCot™ is as cathartic to them as it was for us. Thank you for helping Miller help other families impacted by infant loss."
It was an honor to accept the donation of the CuddleCot™ in remembrance of Miller Michael Tidwell and McKinlee Anne Homan. This donation will help provide comfort to any of our families in need of extended time with their baby. To learn more about CuddleCot™ donations through Ashlie’s Embrace visit: http://www.ashliesembrace.org/.