A heartbroken Rainham couple are fundraising to buy two cold cots for Queen’s Hospital in memory of their son Nico who was stillborn there.

Chris Delucia, 28, and Natalie Pearson, 25, were left devastated in April, when their first son Nico died at birth.

The couple, of Wennington Road, Rainham, were allowed to spend some precious time with him at the hospital in Rom Valley Way, Romford, thanks to the maternity unit’s cold cots.

The cooler temperatures allow new parents to spend a few days as opposed to hours with their babies.

But the hospital only has three cold cots, and with such a busy maternity ward it is not unusual for them all to be in use.

Chris and Natalie are fundraising £2,600 to buy two new cots for the hospital, to give other heartbroken families the same opportunity they had to say goodbye.

The cots will be marked with a plaque bearing Nico’s name.

“On April 29 Natalie and I had to go through something that no parent should ever have to endure,” Chris said.

“We will always treasure the first time we saw him in the scans, the first kick and so many other memories.

“But what got us through this the most, was the wonderful maternity staff at Queens Hospital and the cold cot they provided us with.

“This allowed us to spend a few days with Nico and although we wanted a lifetime of memories we were thankful for the short time we could have.”

On the day Nico died all of the cold cots in the hospital were being used.

“After speaking with the midwives, we have offered to buy two more cold cots for Queens Hospital so every family has the opportunity we had to make some memories with their little angels,” Chris added.

For the fundraising Chris will be completing the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge in September – scaling the highest mountains in England, Scotland and Wales in under 24 hours.

Natalie, who is scared of heights, will abseil down a tall building.

So far they have raised £985.

To donate visit justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nicosgift.