Powered By You Brings New Caring Cradle to Women's Health Services

By Heather Walters

When families experience the heartbreaking loss of a baby, every moment matters.

Thanks to a gift from Revels Funeral Home through the UNC Health Southeastern Foundation's Powered By You program, Women's Health Services at UNC Health Southeastern now has a new Caring Cradle, providing families additional time to hold, love, and say goodbye to their child following a pregnancy or infant loss.

The Caring Cradle is a specialized cooling bassinet designed to gently preserve an infant's body, allowing families precious additional time together. Those moments often become opportunities to hold their baby, create memories, take photographs, gather with loved ones, receive spiritual support, and begin processing an unimaginable loss.

The gift began with an idea from Brandy Bell, a labor and delivery nurse in UNC Health Southeastern’s Women's Health Services department, who recognized the need to replace the hospital's existing Caring Cradle with a newer model that would continue supporting families during one of the most difficult moments they may ever face.

Bell submitted the request to the UNC Health Southeastern Foundation through a Powered By You suggestion card. Powered By You is the Foundation's employee-driven initiative that gives teammates a direct way to share ideas and identify needs that could improve patient care, the patient experience, or teammate experience. Once a request is reviewed and approved, the Foundation works to connect those needs with donors who want to help make them possible. The Caring Cradle is the first project completed through the program.

After receiving the request, the Foundation sought a donor who would understand the impact this resource could have on grieving families. Juddie and Gina Revels of Revels Funeral Home immediately came to mind. Through their work serving families throughout our community, they have walked alongside countless parents and loved ones during times of loss and understood the importance of providing families every possible opportunity to spend time with their child.

"One of the hardest things any family can experience is the loss of a child," said Juddie Revels. "In our work, we see grief every day, and we know how important it is for families to have time, support, and compassion.”

“We are honored to help provide a resource that allows parents precious moments with their baby and supports them during such a difficult time,” added Gina Revels.

"For families facing the loss of a baby, there are no words that can take away the pain," said Lyndsey Walters, director of Women's Health Services at UNC Health Southeastern. "What we can do is provide compassionate care and give families the time and space they need to be with their baby. The Caring Cradle allows parents and loved ones time to hold their child, create memories, and say goodbye in their own way. That time is something families never forget."

Bell said the project reflects the importance of listening to teammates who work directly with patients and families.

"We care for families during some of the happiest moments of their lives, but we are also there during some of the hardest," said Bell. "When a family experiences the loss of a baby, every moment becomes precious. Our Caring Cradle had served many families over the years, and we knew it was time to replace it. I am grateful to the Foundation and to Revels Funeral Home for helping ensure this resource will be available for families when they need it."

UNC Health Southeastern Foundation Executive Director Sissy Grantham said the project demonstrates the purpose of Powered By You.

"Our teammates see needs every day that can make a real difference for patients and families," said Grantham. "Powered By You creates an opportunity for those ideas to be shared with the Foundation and matched with donors who want to make an impact. We are grateful to Brandy for bringing this request forward and to Juddie and Gina Revels for helping make it possible."

She added, "We hope this first Powered By You project encourages teammates across our organization to continue sharing ideas with us. The people providing care every day often have the best understanding of what patients and families need. When those ideas are combined with the generosity of our donors, great things can happen."

The new Caring Cradle is now available for use in Women's Health Services department at UNC Health Southeastern and will serve families throughout southeastern North Carolina for years to come.

For more information about UNC Health Southeastern Foundation, visit https://www.unchealthsoutheastern.org/foundation or call (910) 671-5583.

Heather Walters is the manager of Donor Experience & Engagement for the UNC Health Southeastern Foundation.