The purpose of the ook snow ALL: Fulfilled by Loretta Cuddle Bed Campaign

Following a six-week fundraiser, a family donated a Umano Medical bed that can accommodate two people, to the Placentia Health Center, in Newfoundland, Canada. The bed, which is now in use in a context of palliative care, allows more proximity between relatives, thus fulfilling the mission for which it was developed.

It all started in 2018, when Loretta Pomroy, an 83-year-old mother, grandmother and great-grandmother was spending her last moments surrounded by her family and friends. During this emotion-filled moment, her family members realized that a standard bed could be an obstacle for loved ones in need of comfort. Their experience gave them the desire to provide solace and support to other families going through the same situation.

Meanwhile, Umano Medical was working on launching a new bed, the ook snow ALL, that was meant to provide patients with more dignity and comfort. The bed was designed to support increased weight capacity, width expansion, as well as safety features which would certify the bed for a two-person use (a patient and a loved one). The entire team at Umano Medical knew this benefit would be meaningful in bariatric and med-surg environments, and even more so in palliative care.

To honor her memory, Loretta’s family launched a fundraising campaign, and after extensive research learned about Umano Medical’s initiative and decided that the ook snow ALL bed was exactly what they were looking for. The bed, which they referred to as a "cuddle bed" would be donated to the Placentia Health Center’s palliative room and according to them "would allow other families to be close and cherish their final moments together."
An entire community came together, through music and art performance events, to raise funds to purchase the bed. Among the generosity, many also came together to share touching stories of their own experiences in palliative care.

In six weeks, The Loretta Cuddle Bed campaign raised the amount needed to donate the ook snow ALL bed to the local palliative care room. The bed is now in use and offers the opportunity for a family member to snuggle up with their loved ones. This act of courage and generosity, which was done in memory of a beloved mother, symbolizes the fundamental purpose of the ook snow ALL: to allow closeness and solace between loved ones.
On the fundraiser finale on February 16, 2019, Loretta’s family physician, Dr. Rob Power, concluded: "we cannot change the outcome, but (with this bed) we can change the experience."

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