Perinatal Loss Care
The four Franklin County hospital systems have collaborated to develop “Community Standards on Perinatal Loss Care” aimed at identifying and spreading best practices around the care of mothers and families who have experienced perinatal loss. Representatives from hospital maternity units and bereavement and chaplain services worked together to develop this set of standards for optimal care that should be provided to parents and families suffering a perinatal loss at any Franklin County hospital. The standards were developed in partnership with Miles Mission, which was created in 2021 to support individuals navigating the heartache of pregnancy and infant loss.
COHC has compiled a list of resources that may be helpful to the hospital systems as they work to meet the Community Standards. This list will be updated as new resources are identified.
Brooks Bereavement Bears
Taylor McKenzie – President and Founder: Here at Brooks’ Bereavement Bears, we want to be able to give women and families comfort as they are going through the worst moment of their lives. Something so simple as a cuddly teddy bear with a heartfelt message of hope could be so helpful in their grief journey. Contact Taylor at www.brooksbereavementbears.com.
Forget-Me-Not Baskets
Founded in 2007 by Sara Ringle, Forget-Me-Not Baskets® provides grief support for all family members experiencing a loss during any stage of their pregnancy. Basket items are specifically curated for grief support and offer tangible items of remembrance and comfort. Their website is: www.forgetmenotbaskets.com.
Alive in my Heart
PAIL Grant Fund and Policy Development: An organization dedicated to helping families in Central Ohio who have suffered child loss. They were formed by Elizabeth Yassenoff, Kessia and AJ Cericola, Kerry Janidlo, and Kelli Blinn. PAIL = Pregnancy and Infant Loss provides funding up to $1000 for mothers who need assistance financially before going back to work. They work with others in the Central Ohio area and can be found at www.aliveinmyheart.org.
Back In His Arms Again
Back In His Arms Again is a charitable organization of collaborative resources providing education, care, guidance and financial services for families in need who are experiencing the loss of a child as well as those providing care. Website: www.backinhisarmsagain.com.
Faith Cornell
GoodCity Creatives Community Development – Art Therapy: they use art therapy as a means of healing for children and in some cases adults. Using faith-based concepts, she provides opportunities to work in the arts and technology to engage families as they heal. She is on Instagram at GoodCity Creatives and on Facebook at Goodcity Creatives Community. You can contact them at: www.goodcitycreatives.com.
The Harbour Knoxx Foundation
Elizabeth Peabody is the founder of The Harbour Knoxx Foundation. Located in Amanda, OH, she lost Harbor at 35 weeks in December of 2022. The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation was created in memory of Harbour and our determination to help provide live and support to families experiencing pregnancy loss. Website: www.theharbourknoxxpeabodyfoundation.org.
Let the Light In
Kami Wernimont, Founder, nonprofit supporting women affected by miscarriage and pregnancy loss by providing resources and a compassionate community. Website: www.ltli.org.
Sad Dads Club
Founded by Rob Reider, Chris Piasecki, and Jay Tansey, SAD DADS CLUB helps fellow bereaved fathers navigate life after loss by nurturing a supportive community and providing access to mental health services. Located in Maine, SDC was founded in 2018. They can be contacted at www.saddadsclub.org.
Ashlie’s Embrace
Erin and Tony Maroon – distribute Cuddle Cots nationwide. Over 300 hospitals in all 50 states have been helped. Contact them for a Cuddle Cot at www.ashliesembrace.org.
Cuddle Cot (Flexmort)
Lindsey Lowery (Executive Director, Americas) and Kevin Crute (Managing Director)
Flexmort’s mortuary storage and cooling systems have revolutionized mobile body storage allowing the deceased to be cooled with dignity and without the need for large traditional mortuary refrigerators.
Our mobile body cooling solutions include cooling a single deceased person on a bed or trolley with a cooling blanket, cooling a deceased neonatal in a cooling cot as well as providing large mobile mass fatality mortuary systems. Flexmort is headquarters in Gloucester, England. Contact: Lindsay Lowery at Lindsay.lowery@cuddlecot.com or Danille Franck at Danielle.franck@flexmort.com.
Rachel’s Gift
Lori Beth Blaney – Founder, located in McDonough, Georgia, specializes in a multi-faceted work providing bears and specialized care for parents who lose a child to miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. Resources include counseling, training hospital staff, and bereavement care in partnership with hospitals. Reach her at: www.rachelsgift.org.
Sufficient Grace Ministries
Ministering to families for over 20 years, they do things from bears, to care packages, to clothing for babies who are either miscarried, stillborn, or perinatal loss. They have book resources, and the most intensive training for hospital staff, including doctors, to assist them in patient care for families of loss. They can be reached at: www.sufficientgraceministries.org.