'Our hearts are broken but we will be forever grateful'

Family's appeal after son born sleeping at hospital

Good morning and welcome to your Monday briefing from Ashfield News. In today’s newsletter, a family’s fundraising appeal in memory of their baby son, extra night-time bus services announced, have your say on the future of an Ashfield town and much more.

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Parents’ fundraising appeal in memory of son

A grieving Nottinghamshire couple have donated two cold cots to King’s Mill Hospital in memory of their baby son, Angus Charlie Evans.

Kirsty and Scott Evans launched a fundraising appeal following the birth of Angus, who was born sleeping at 24 weeks and one day on 3 February 2025.

Determined to help other bereaved families spend more precious time with their babies, the couple set up a JustGiving page to raise funds for cold cots.

The cots are specially designed to keep a baby’s body cool after death, allowing parents more time to say goodbye.

Thanks to the support of the local community, events and a raffle, they raised enough to donate two cold cots to King’s Mill Hospital.

A third cot is also planned for funeral directors A.W. Lymn in Mansfield Woodhouse, which cared for Angus.

On 1 July, Kirsty, Scott and their two children visited the hospital to hand over the first cot, which includes a memorial plaque in Angus’s name. They also left a heartfelt letter and a Highland cow soft toy for the first family to use it.

Speaking about their motivation, the couple said: “Our hearts are broken, but the staff who looked after us – and are still looking after us – are incredible and we will be forever grateful.

“On the day I gave birth, the Butterfly Suite – where families can stay with their baby until they are ready to go home – was already in use, and it got us wondering whether families miss out on time with their babies because of a shortage of cold cots.

“We have had so much support, and so many have said they wished cold cots were available when they were in our situation.”

Mandy Toplis, deputy divisional director of nursing and allied health professionals at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, added: “We truly admire Kirsty and Scott’s focus on supporting other families who experience loss at what is an incredibly difficult time for them.

“We really appreciate their kind gesture and everyone who has supported their fundraising – this cold cot really will make a difference to bereaved families.”

The Evans family say their fundraising journey is not over and they plan to continue their efforts to help other families dealing with baby loss. Donations can still be made via their JustGiving page:
👉 justgiving.com/crowdfunding/kirsty-evans-203.

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Residents urged to help shape town’s £19.5m future