PARENTS grieving the loss of their baby son marked what would have been his first birthday by handing over an inscribed cuddle cot to help other families.

Mother-of-four Tina Davidson delivered her ‘sleeping’ baby, Drew Defty, in hospital on August 31 last year at 16 weeks gestation.

One year to the day she and partner Jon Defty, of Trimdon Grange, travelled to Stockton to present the Co-op funeral directors with its first cuddle cot.

Inscribed with “Donated in memory of Drew Defty, 31 August 2017”, the cot is a cooling pad which can be placed in any type of baby bed to allow families of babies who have passed away time to grieve before their infant is taken away.

Miss Davidson said: “They have said the cuddle cot will be kept at their main office in Stockton but will be accessible to all the local branches in this area.

“That means a lot to us as we wanted something to help other parents from our area too.”

Having only spent a precious sixty minutes with their son, Miss Davidson and Mr Defty hope their contribution will give others the chance to have that extra time they wished they had.

Following the stillbirth of their son in 2017, the bereaved parents set out to raise the £1,600 needed to purchase the cuddle cot.

Since December the pair have been fundraising through raffles and the sale of coloured glass-bead bracelets which Miss Davidson makes at home.

But the biggest boost to their target was thanks to Miss Davidson and friends Hayley Lambton and Sharon Greenwood who undertook the 5km Color Obstacle Rush Newcastle in June.

And £100 was donated from a charity fundraising day in Trimdon Colliery, dubbed Darcie Day.

The event in May was organised in memory of Darcie Jane Bowes, daughter of Gary and Lisa Bowes, who was stillborn in June, 2012.

Washington-based charity 4Louis, which supports families affected by miscarriage, stillbirth and child loss, provided support to Miss Davidson and Mr Defty by helping purchase the cuddle cot and by setting up a Just Giving fund.

A plaque on the cuddle cot, which is now available to other grieving parents, is also inscribed with the 4Louis charity symbol.