There were many times throughout my son’s NICU stay where I did not know if he would survive. Although I experienced tremendous anticipatory grief given his chance for survival, I cannot fully understand the heartache of losing a baby. Through my work as the founder of Hand to Hold, I have been honored and my life has been truly blessed through the friendships I have made with those who understand the pain of losing a baby.
Hand to Hold’s new podcast, NICU Love & Loss, was created to honor the memory of Zoe Rose, the daughter of one of my closest friends, Keira Sorrells, founder and president of the Preemie Parent Alliance.
Keira graciously joined me as co-host of this podcast series that features conversations with parents who have experienced the loss of a baby. As a bereaved mother and leader in NICU family support, she was the ideal co-host for this emotional podcast. The discussions included stories of loss as a result of stillbirth, genetic disorders and complications related to prematurity.
Through these meaningful conversations with parents as well as perinatal grief and loss experts, we examine the many stages and facets of grief and share how each guest has harnessed their pain to help other families. Keira and I, along with our guests, poured our hearts into these episodes. Many intimate stories were shared, and many tears were shed during the recording process.
While I am proud of all the work that we do for families at Hand to Hold, this project is one that I am especially honored to be part of. Knowing and loving each family in the podcast that so bravely shares their story makes this experience even more meaningful.
It is our hope that this special podcast will help bereaved families across the country process their emotions, seek support and to always know that they are not alone.
To listen to the all new NICU Love and Loss podcast, visit handtohold.org/NICUloveandloss.