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Family grieving 2011 murders hopes CuddleCot donation will comfort others

The Crane family knows well the pain of missing years with loved ones.

INDIANAPOLIS (WTHR) - A horrific crime changed everything for a local family eight years ago.

Today, the family hopes to help others who are grieving the loss of a child.

Cathy Crane came home in December, 2011 to find her son Jeremy and granddaughter Kayeigh, 7, murdered.

"This time of year hits pretty hard for us," she said.

The family knows well the pain of missing years with two people they loved more than anyone.

"We have Kyleigh's birthday the second week of October and you have Thanksgiving so you remember the last Thanksgiving with the kids and then you have today and then you have Christmas and then you have Jeremy's birthday in January."

That's why, in Jeremy and Kyleigh's memory, the Cranes just donated a CuddleCot to IU Health Riley Hospital for Children.

"Our family, unfortunately, didn't get the gift of time," she said.

They want other families who lose babies to have time with that infant, even when it has passed.

Instead of the baby being taken immediately to the morgue, the CuddleCot gives heartbroken families more time to say goodbye.

Right now, there are 20 CuddleCot devices in hospitals across Indiana.

The Cranes say they're proud to add one more to that number in honor of Jeremy and Kyleigh, hoping to help other families grieve. It's something they know about all too well.

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