A mother who tragically lost her baby son is raising money for a cuddle cot so grieving parents can spend more time with their children before they are laid to rest.

Lucy Watts, from Whitstable, says the special refrigerated cot allows mothers and fathers to take their child home for a short while, giving them precious moments together and the chance to say goodbye.

For parents of stillborns, the 30-year-old believes it will help create special memories they may not otherwise have had.

Mum-of-five Lucy, who was living in Ramsgate at the time, said: “Losing a child is the most difficult thing.

“I put my son to bed, and when I went in later....nothing can prepare you for that. He was 15 weeks old.

“My friend had a stillborn. Coming home to all the baby things but not having a baby, it’s terrible.

“The option of a cuddle cot wasn’t there for us. Having that 24 hours with the baby can bring parents comfort.

“It’s an important part of the grieving process and they should be available at all funeral parlours.”

Lucy, who lives in Walmer Road with husband Robert and their children, lost Curtis to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) on February 23, 2006.

“When a child dies unexpectedly at home there has to be a police investigation and you have to go through the process – and then the baby is moved to the funeral parlour,” she said.

“It means you don’t get time with them. I didn’t get enough time with my son.

“I couldn’t spend a night with him. I missed out on that.

“A cuddle cot would give another parent something I wasn’t able to have. That’s why I’m raising the money.”

The cot, which costs £1,695, is refrigerated so it preserves the body of the child.

“It’s a horrible thing to go through,” said Lucy, who admits she still has difficult days trying to deal with Curtis’ death.

“This way, parents can get that extra bit of time and rather than being somewhere strange they can be in their own home.”

There is currently a cuddle cot at the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital but Lucy wants another one installed at Gore Brothers funeral directors in Margate, which she says was “outstanding” after Curtis’ death.

“The way they looked after me – they really cared,” she said.

“That’s why we’re raising the money for the cot for them.

“A cuddle cot would give another parent something I wasn’t able to have... That's why I'm raising the money - Lucy Watts

“But I think there should be one in all funeral parlours and they shouldn’t have to be worrying about cost.”

Lucy wants to raise the full £1,695 with help from the Angel Wings Baby and Child Loss Support group.

Funeral director Philip Gore, of Gore Brothers, supports what she is doing.

“To be thinking of others in this way is so kind,” he said.

“And it’s astonishing that after more than a decade she remembers the care of our dynamic ladies and men here.

“There are some mothers where it’s just so difficult they want to shut themselves away, but it’s helpful to have that additional time.

“A lot is happening in hospitals and by midwives to make the best of a disaster and we are at the end of that process.

“It’s surprising what we can offer parents.

“The little ink print of the foot or hand. The simple things go a long way.”

• To donate to the appeal visit www.gofundme.com/margate-cuddle-cot