Finalist HESTA Nursing and Midwifery Awards 2020

15 Apr 2020

Kristy joins two other candidates in the category of Midwife of the year that recognises excellence in midwifery from throughout Australia.

Her nomination credits her work with cuddle cots, a program aimed at improving care and support for grieving parents who have experienced pregnancy loss.

In 2014 Kristy supported a young family who had lost their baby through stillbirth. As there were no facilities at the time to care for a deceased baby in the ward environment, the family only got to spend a very short time with their precious son. 

This inspired Kristy to raise funds to purchase a cuddle cot for the hospital. The cot circulates refrigerated air continuously underneath the baby bassinet, allowing stillborn babies to spend additional time with their parents and families. 

Since then, Kristy has gone on to raise over $70,000, enough money to purchase a cuddle cot for almost every maternity hospital in Western Australia. She also partnered with the WA Department of Health, who have added a further $39,200 for another eight cold cuddle cots.

Her work fundraising for and delivering cuddle cots means the baby can stay with their parents for longer, giving them the chance to cuddle, bond, grieve and create memories in an environment where they feel supported at a devastating time.

Kristy has championed the cause of pregnancy loss through her advocacy, education and fundraising. She has commenced a perinatal loss specialist program within our hospital and actively seeks out opportunities to raise awareness through conference presentations and specialist panel discussion. She has now become a leader in the field educating other midwives in the profession through education sessions and mentoring.

The Award winners will be announced on Wednesday 6 May 2020. We wish all the best to Kristy who is truly deserving of all the accolades.