Hanami Prints Blog: Learning to Live Without Our Children » Grief Support

Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death: MEND

hanamipapa — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 19:49:35 +0000

M.E.N.D. (Mommies Enduring Neonatal Death) is a Christian, non-profit organization that reaches out to families who have suffered the loss of a baby through miscarriage, stillbirth, or early infant death…

MEND offers support groups and services both internationally and nationally. Based in Dallas/Ft.Worth Texas, MEND was founded by Rebekah Mitchell.

International Services Include:

Free Bi-weekly newsletter
Online support forum
And numerous resources provided through the MEND website.

Nation Services Include all the services listed above including:

Local chapter peer support groups (visit links for contact information and maps.)
- MEND Home – Dallas/Ft.Worth
- Arkansas – Northwest
- Georgia – Atlanta
- Kansas – Emporia
- Missouri – Springfield
- Oklahoma – Tulsa
- Texas – Houston, Hill Country, Texarkana

Please visit mend.org to see their resources, special events or to make a donation.

What do you enjoy most about MEND?

Faith’s Lodge: A Place Where Hope Grows

hanamipapa — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 00:56:18 +0000

Faith’s Lodge provides a place where parents and families facing the serious illness or death of a child can retreat to reflect on the past, renew strength for the present, and build hope for the future.

Faith’s Lodge is located on 80 acres of the lush north Wisconsin forest. With eight beautifully designed guest suites, each accommodating up-to six people, Faith’s Lodge is a wonderful place for bereaved families to reflect and heal. In addition to the serene surroundings and cozy accommodations, Faith’s Lodge also provides optional activities such as “professionally-led discussion groups, therapeutic arts and crafts and north woods adventures.”

In operation since July 2007, Faith’s Lodge has served over 300 families and is the only facility of its kind in the country. Operating as a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, Faith’s Lodge offers these wonderful services at a minimum donation of $25 per night. “However, no one will ever be turned away for financial reasons.”

Download the Faith’s Lodge brochure here.
Download the Faith’s Lodge brochure for professionals here.

Other Useful Links:

Nominate Faith’s Lodge for the Chase Community Giving Contest on Facebook!

I just found out about this organization today and the whole concept has blown me away! Our family would have benefited tremendously from this healing retreat. A safe place away from the world, quiet, serene and surrounded by nature would have done the heart and soul some serious good during those first few painful years.

So today I am passing this message onto any eyes and ears that will take note. Spread the word about Faith’s Lodge and help nominate them for the Chase Community Giving Contest on Facebook! Faith’s Lodge has a wonderful opportunity to win more than $1,000,000 through the Chase Community Giving Contest with the assistance of Facebook users.

For all of you Twitter types out there copy and paste this message “Join me in voting for Faith’s Lodge to win more than $1 million in the Chase
Giving contest! Visit http://bit.ly/A3DZw“

What do you think about Faith’s Lodge mission? Would you have benefited from their healing retreat? Leave your thoughts below.

Grief Support After the Death of a Child: The Compassionate Friends

hanamipapa — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 18:21:30 +0000

The Compassionate Friends is a support group dedicated to help families following the death of a child of any age. Incorporated in 1978, The Compassionate friends began with a chaplain, Simon Stephens, and a set of grieving parents at a hospital in Warwhickshire, England. Chaplain Stephens realized that the support these grieving parents gave to each other was better than anything he could have provided.

Mission
The mission of The Compassionate Friends is to assist families toward the positive resolution of grief following the death of a child of any age and to provide information to help others be supportive…

With more than 600 meeting locations around the country, The Compassionate Friends deliver in building an emotional support group of grieving families whom all share in dealing with the devastating loss of a child. Meetings are not moderated by therapists but instead bereaved parents, siblings and grandparents in all stages of the grieving process.

I first heard about The Compassionate Friends through an old schoolmate who lost her son a few days after giving birth to him six years ago. To date, she is still very active in her local chapter assisting in fundraisers and community events. What I was most impressed by was that shortly after her son passed, she was taken to a meeting being held within the same hospital and was immediately embraced both physically and spiritually–the group sobbed together and let her know she was not alone. Crying together, my friend told me that she was so thankful that there was a group of people out there to help her walk the difficult path of grieving her son.

Useful Links:

Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support (SPALS)

hanamipapa — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:43:26 +0000

Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support (SPALS) is a closed email-based, community support group that has given thousands of grieving parents a safe and compassionate forum to connect and share experiences with others who know the depths of grieving a child and the fears associated with subsequent pregnancy. Whether you have experienced “the loss of a child due to miscarriage, selective termination, stillbirth, neonatal death, sudden infant death, or accidental death,” SPALS offers an extremely active and supportive community to those currently pregnant, trying to become pregnant, or contemplating trying again after loss.

How active and supportive?

Very! Within moments of my wife posting her first email to the group there was an outpouring of support from members all over the world letting her know that we were not alone. It has been over three years since that first email and I can tell you the momentum and strength of the group hasn’t slowed a bit.

Shortly after the passing of her first child, due to severe preeclampsia and HELLP Syndrome, Sarah Grimes Founded SPALS in December 1995. Sarah is still very much a part of SPALS and is one of two list administrators.

Sarah shares her experience “The Life and Death of Haven, our Beloved Daughter.”

Conclusion

SPALS is a wonderful support group that has been a tremendous resource. Its members have helped us through some of the darkest times. There are many support groups out there, but SPALS offers an atmosphere of intimacy and privacy that is very comforting and reassuring.

Useful Links:

SPALS Home – Subsequent Pregnancy After a Loss Support
SPALS Faq – Frequently asked questions
Join SPALS – Join SPALS now
Sarah Grimes – For general enquiries and history of SPALS

Do you have a story to share about SPALS? What would you tell our readers looking to join a support group? What support groups have you found most helpful?

Peer-to-Peer Support for Mothers of Stillborn Babies

HanamiMama — Mon, 18 May 2009 16:16:17 +0000

Evie’s Network, a non-profit organization based in the United States, is dedicated to providing information and resources to mothers, fathers, families, friends, coworkers and medical professionals on the tragedy of losing a much-loved baby to stillbirth. The organization’s primary purpose is to connect women who experienced stillbirth for direct, peer-to-peer support. As a mother who lost her first child to stillbirth at 41 weeks of pregnancy, I understand how vital it is to connect with other women who have also suffered the physical and emotional trauma of stillbirth. Giving birth, whether vaginally or by Cesarean section, to a baby you know has already died carries a lasting emotional impact unique to other forms of pregnancy and child loss. While fully realizing the devestation that a loss of a child at any age or stage of pregnancy brings to the surviving family, Evie’s Network has chosen to focus its limited resources solely on the tragedy of stillbirth and the accompanying physical and emotional trauma suffered by the birthing mother.

Evie’s Network was founded by Virginia Bertholet, who suffered the stillbirth of her only two children, Bigelow at 28 weeks gestation in 1995 from severe toxemia and Evie at 36 weeks gestation in 2000 from a placental abruption. If you are a recently bereaved mother looking for help with your grief, consider signing up for peer-to-peer support at Evie’s Network. Communicating with other mothers who understand first-hand what it means to leave the labor and delivery floor without their babies is tremendously healing. For those women who are a little further along in this life without their children, Evie’s Network offers an opportunity to share your story with newly bereaved mothers, giving them valuable support when they need it the most. More information can be found on the organization’s website at Evie’s Network

Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS)

HanamiMama — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 20:17:19 +0000

Every year around the world, more than 4.2 million babies die between 20 weeks of gestation and the first four weeks after birth. One million babies die from premature birth, while another 3.2 million are stillborn – the majority at the end of pregnancy during labor and birth. The remaining four million children who manage to survive pregnancy and labor end up dying during the first four weeks after birth. In 2006 my otherwise healthy son, Nicolas, was one of these statistics. Stillborn at 41 weeks during labor from undiagnosed velamentous cord insertion and possible vasa previa, preeclampsia and intrauterine growth restriction – all easily managed pregnancy conditions. The fact my healthy child lived and thrived for 41 weeks only to die during early labor still enrages me to this day.

Despite the magnitude of stillbirth and neonatal death, little attention is given to these most vulnerable of patients – not to the medical causes of their deaths or to the facts of their deaths and the devastation their loss brings to the families. The Global Alliance to Prevent Prematurity and Stillbirth (GAPPS), based out of Seattle, Washington, is one of the few organizations working to raise awareness, find causes, and prevent these deaths. The sobering statistics above were taken from their website. Please visit their website for more information and spread the word about this wonderful organization: http://www.gappsseattle.org/.