Comfort Kit For Bereaved Moms

On April 15, 2016 I went to the hospital for a routine sonogram during my second pregnancy. I drove there by myself, with only my purse and keys for this appointment, unaware that upon arrival I would find out my 35 week old son had passed away in utero, and I would be immediately admitted to labor and delivery to deliver my stillborn baby. The hospital staff was amazing and provided me with resources for photos of our child, mementos like hand prints and foot prints, and a few resources for hospital support groups. Although the care we received was amazing, the resources that were most helpful to me in the days that followed were books, journals, and art inspired by other bereaved moms and the connections I made with other women in the loss community. This year, in honor of the second anniversary of our sons death, I’d like to do something to provide comfort and resources for other bereaved moms, experiencing the darkest hours of their lives. A small bag with some natural, soothing, lavender soap and lotion, a stick of natural healing balm for their hospital stay and postpartum recovery, a grief journal, and Forget-Me-Not seeds to plant in their child’s memory, as well as a framed custom watercolor print with a message of love, created by another loss mom. Each comfort kit costs just over $30 to put together, and my initial goal is to fundraise enough to provide 20 of these gifts to newly bereaved mothers through the University of Maryland Medical Center’s Labor and Delivery department. Will you help me minister to these special women by sponsoring a bag? I can’t think of a better way to honor our little Lucas than by caring for other moms in the same devastating situation. Thanks for journeying with us through our grief- Sara & Paul Straw