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The Milton family, of Egremont, suffered a tragic and unimaginable loss in February 2025, when their precious daughter, Ivy Mae, died aged 4 years. Following her devastating passing at Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, it was the family’s wish to bring Ivy home, to her own bed, where she could rest until her funeral.
Recognising the challenges that lay ahead, and with the hope of giving the family the most time possible with Ivy, Funeral Director Michael Branney set about sourcing a Cuddle Blanket – a specialist product that provides gentle cooling – for the family to have installed at home. Michael secured one of these from Jigsaw, Cumbria’s Children’s Hospice, Carlisle, who kindly loaned the kit for Ivy’s benefit.
Recognising that the Cuddle Blanket helped the family’s cause enormously and the fact that few of these kits are in general circulation, the family set about a fundraising effort, named PROJECT IVY, to buy as many of the kits as possible for the benefit of families across West Cumbria. The kits were to be based at Eaves Funeral Service but be made available to Funeral Directors across the area whenever the need arises.
In the following days, an astonishing amount was raised – enough to initially purchase two baby/child Cuddle Cots and three adult Cuddle Blankets. These have now been delivered to Eaves Funeral Service, have been commissioned and are ready for use.
Fundraising continues via http://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ivymilton – further funds will be used to purchase more kits that will be designated for use across the Northeast, under the custodianship of Funeral Partners.
All of us at Eaves Funeral Service would like to thank and pay tribute to the Milton family, for their incredible kindness and generosity, and for their amazing thoughtfulness for others. Together, we will assist many families in the future as they navigate the path of grief – all mindful of the wonderful legacy of a special little girl who touched the hearts of so many.