117: How Ashlie’s Embrace Is Helping Stillbirth Families Get More Time With Their Babies

What would you give for just one more hour?

For parents experiencing stillbirth, time is the most precious—and most fleeting—thing in the world. Time to hold. Time to say goodbye. Time to remember. And for Erin Maroon, the sudden loss of her daughter Ashlie made her realize just how deeply that time matters—and how painfully rare it often is.

This is the story of Ashlie’s Embrace, a nonprofit born from unimaginable grief that now brings healing to thousands of families through one simple, powerful gift: more time.

“Your daughter is dead.”

Erin’s story begins in 2015. Her pregnancy had been healthy. No warning signs. No complications. Just the joyful anticipation of becoming a mother after 11 years of marriage. But everything changed in a single sentence spoken in a sterile hospital room.

Just the day before, her doctor had reassured her that Ashley looked great. She had even asked her doctor directly, “Am I jeopardizing either of us if I wait?” Her doctor said no. But within hours, Ashlie was gone—her heart had stopped, and no one could say exactly why.

She labored for 24 hours, and when Ashlie was finally born, she was still—wrapped in her umbilical cord, pink and perfect, but silent.

The Silence That Followed

Nothing prepares you for the quiet that follows the birth of a baby who doesn’t cry.

The hospital did what they could. A photographer came. Friends and family visited. But Erin was exhausted, in shock, and entirely unprepared for what came next. When Ashley was brought to her the next morning, her body had been kept in a cold storage room.

Ashlie was placed in what Erin described as “an Easter basket.” Her once-warm skin was now ice-cold. And that precious second visit—less than an hour long—was the last time Erin ever held her daughter.

“I Googled how to come home to an empty nursery the day I was discharged,” she said.

And that’s when she discovered the Cuddle Cot.

What Is a Cuddle Cot?

A Cuddle Cot is a small device that cools a baby’s body using a gentle, water-cooled mat placed beneath or around them. Instead of being refrigerated in a separate room, the baby stays in the room with their parents—softly cooled, lovingly close.

This simple piece of technology preserves a baby’s appearance for longer, allowing parents more time to hold, photograph, and bond with their baby before saying goodbye.

For Erin, learning about the Cuddle Cot was both a revelation and a heartbreak.

“We are the most medically advanced nation in the world,” she said. “And I got less than an hour with my daughter.”

From Grief to Action: The Birth of Ashlie’s Embrace

Three weeks after Ashlie’s memorial, Erin was hit with a moment of clarity. She ran downstairs to her husband and said, “We’re supposed to start a nonprofit.”

Despite being deep in grief, she had never felt more certain about anything.

And so, Ashlie’s Embrace was born—with one mission: to make sure no family has to lose their only chance to spend time with their baby.

Their first goal? Place 10 Cuddle Cots by Ashlie’s first birthday.

Today, nearly a decade later, they’ve placed almost 400 Cuddle Cots in hospitals across all 50 states.

Why This Matters So Deeply for Stillbirth Families

For grieving parents, time doesn’t just matter—it shapes the entire course of their healing.

When you’re in shock… when you’re recovering from birth… when you didn’t even know this was possible—you don’t know what you’ll need until later.

And once your baby is gone, there’s no going back.

Cuddle Cots don’t erase the pain. But they give space for the love. For the rituals. For the memory-making. For the final goodbyes to happen slowly, instead of in a rushed haze.

They give options.

They give parents a choice—something Erin never had.

Why Don’t All Hospitals Use Them?

The short answer? Lack of awareness. Budget constraints. Staff discomfort. Misunderstanding.

Some hospitals welcome the technology with open arms. Others resist it, often citing training or emotional discomfort.

But Erin is clear: “Having a Cuddle Cot available—whether a family uses it or not—can literally change the trajectory of a parent’s grief.”

And the most powerful part? These devices are reusable, cost-effective ($3,500 each), and backed by a support system provided by Ashley’s Embrace.

A Legacy Far Beyond One Baby

Ashlie’s Embrace may have started with one baby—but today, it honors hundreds.

Each cot is donated with a personalized plaque, often from another grieving family paying it forward. And behind each one is a story—Willow, Miles, Seth, Meleah. Babies who mattered. Families who cared. Legacies that now live on.

“We started Ashlie’s Embrace selfishly—because we wanted to see her name on something,” Erin says. “Now, it’s about every family who has ever walked this road.”

How You Can Help

If you’re reading this and feel moved by Erin’s story—here are a few ways you can support Ashlie’s Embrace:

• Donate: A one-time or monthly donation helps fund the placement and upkeep of Cuddle Cots.

• Fundraise a Cuddle Cot: Families can sponsor a cot in honor of their baby.

• Attend their Gala: The annual October event raises significant funds—and awareness.

• Share this story: Awareness saves lives, memories, and grief.

Go to ashliesembrace.org to get involved.

Grief, Legacy, and the Power of Time

A Parent can never forget the moment your baby is placed in your arms—whether it’s filled with cries or silence.

And for parents who experience the silence of stillbirth, having more time isn’t just about comfort. It’s about validation. It’s about memory. It’s about love.

Ashlie’s Embrace exists because one mother refused to let that moment be the end of her story—or Ashlie’s.

And because of that choice, thousands of other families now have a chance to say goodbye with grace, with dignity, and with more time.