Connecticut family donates special baby bed to help families who lose a child

BRIDGEPORT, Conn. (WTNH) — An Avon family recently made a donation to Bridgeport Hospital to honor their son who passed away shortly after he was born.

“At around 19 weeks, at our anatomy scan, we found out that Jonah had something called Potter Syndrome,” Malissa Tibbling said.

She received the devastating news that the baby she was carrying wouldn’t live long after birth.

“We chose to continue the pregnancy so we could meet Jonah, have his sister and grandparents meet him and just get to spend time with him,” she said.

Jonah was beautiful. Malissa remembers his little pink cheeks.

“Jonah Karsyn Tibbling was his name. He lived for 50 minutes, so it was a very short time,” she said.

The hospital where Tibbling delivered provided the family with a Cuddle Cot, a special bed that keeps the baby’s body cool so families can take pictures and cherish moments with their little one.

“I just got to hold him and be with him those four days and it was the best thing I could ever have gotten in that situation,” Tibbling said.

The Tibblings recently created a fundraiser then donated a cot to be part of the Perinatal Bereavement Program at Bridgeport Hospital , part of Yale New Haven Health.

“Sometimes families know this is happening, oftentimes they don’t,” said Elisabeth Schneider, the Perinatal Bereavement Counselor at Bridgeport Hospital. “It gives them the gift of time to process their loss to think about what they want, in terms of honoring their baby.”

All of these are donations are from families who have lost children.

Leslie Shannehan, whose first son passed away not long after birth, is a volunteer coordinator with the program, making sure families get items that provide comfort.

“These blankets are hand knitted,” she said, pointing to books, gowns and stuffed animals. “We want everyone here to have a lamb.”

“I wanted his life to have a lasting impact,” Tibbling said of her son.

The donation will make a connection with other families who suffer this kind of tragic loss, helping them feel that they’re not alone.

“It just brought me so much joy knowing that it’s going to bring people some peace at a difficult time,” she said.

Volunteers with the program also help train nurses, chaplains and social workers on how to talk to a family during this very difficult time.

Click here to visit the family’s GoFundMe page.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to NewsNation.