Bereaved Parents
True Colors: Celebrating on Mother’s Day
By: Robyn Busekrus As Mother’s Day approaches, we may be flooded with memories of our own mothers, longing to be a mother, the pain of losing a child and the joys of becoming a mom. These are just some ways we may connect to the concept on Mother’s Day. For myself, the day is…
Read MoreTo Ask For and Receive The Courage of No Quick Fixes
By: Justine Brooks Froelker I am a 39-year-old woman who doesn’t have kids, the most common question I get everywhere I go? “How many kids do you have?” Because I am a speaker of the unspoken, my response is always, “We tried really hard to have kids, lost three babies, and work hard to find…
Read MoreDear Fertile Friend,
By: Kim Dames I know you had no issues getting pregnant. You decided one month it was time to start a family and the next month you received the positive pregnancy test. You had a normal and easy pregnancy. Delivery was even better. You bounced back easily and fit back into your clothes effortlessly. You…
Read MoreCandace’s Story
April 2011 “It’s not good, Candace”. The words I never thought I would hear at my scheduled 21 week ultrasound. A flood of tears overwhelm me. “Where’s Josh? Is he here yet?” I ask the tech through sobs and gasps for air. This can’t be happening to me. This isn’t real. Josh comes in and…
Read MoreChapter Highlight: Southeast Share Chapter
Chapter Name: Southeast Share Chapter Location: Steinbach, Manitoba (Canada) Chapter Leader: Candace Loewen, Share Southeast Chapter Leader Support Group Information First Thursday of every month at Southeast Helping Hands at 525 Main St in Steinbach from 7:00 – 8:30pm. What have you learned since starting Southeast Share Chapter? I am shy by nature. I don’t…
Read MoreHow Showing Empathy Can Help You Support Others
By: Elizabeth Lowder When a friend or loved one has experienced a loss like a miscarriage, failed IVF or even a negative pregnancy test, we want to do something to help. To take the pain and sadness away and to help them feel better. Common responses couples hear when they’re going through infertility might be…
Read MoreI Am 1 In 8.
By: Cassandra Ludwig My name is Cassandra and I am 1 of the 7.4 million women who has fertility issues. My husband and I have been married for 11 years and have struggled with infertility for 8 of those years. When we decided to start a family, we had no idea the struggles we would…
Read MoreThe Soul-Sucking (Or Soul-Saving) Space of Social Media
By: Brooke Taylor Duckworth When my daughter died, I dropped off of Facebook. For me, Facebook had been a breezy, easy way to interact with people without getting into any of the harsh realities of life. I definitely used it to present the highlight reel—funny moments, the occasional witty observation, and photos to record the…
Read MoreThe Life of Grief on Social Media
By: Sabrina Ivy There is something cathartic about telling your story. Something healing about sharing your grief. I have a difficult time verbalizing my feelings, but when my fingers touch the keyboard or I pick up a pen it becomes the release for me that I so desperately need. It’s like opening a valve and…
Read MoreThe Other “Me Too” Movement: How Social Media Can Be Healing
By: Nora LaFata My daughter died on February 22, 2014. She was born the next day. My fingers still balk at the sequence of those two sentences. My daughter, who weighed five pounds and three ounces. My daughter, who had a head of dark hair and bright, pursed lips and skinny toes. My daughter, the…
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