Jamie has been wonderful in helping us navigate everything after losing our son! Everything from sending a photographer to the hospital after he was born to finding us the best funeral home in our area to negotiating costs with them and then covering everything so that we had no bill to worry about. She even worked with my church committees to remove their $400 in fees so that we didn't have to pay them anything either. My family and I couldn't be more grateful for everything she and Halos of the St. Croix Valley did for us and my son.
Almost 6 years ago, we were shocked when our son passed at 18. On top of our grief, the details were overwhelming.
Parents don’t get to hide from the world when their child passes.
A child doesn’t have the lifetime of milestones, accomplishments and community networks their parents and grandparents have, and the disconnect is felt at the first gentle, yet professional meeting with funeral services.
This is where Halos Shine-
Halos of the St Croix Valley is a nonprofit of parents and family members who have lost children and know how isolating and lost this time is. Halos is Hope that in providing assistance and compassion, a family can find the light to guide them to healing, however that assistance is needed.
I’ve provided an image from the week my son passed. I didn’t know this at the time, but the call was sent out asking volunteers to provide my son’s favorite treats after his service. Halos supporters answered the call and ensured our guests’ had refreshments so we didn’t have to.
This small gesture meant so much to me and I’m forever grateful for this organization
Halos stepped in and helped so much when my infant daughter died and I was completely lost. She got a beautiful service and the director went way above and beyond helping when there was a hiccup and driving a long ways in the snow. I volunteer with Halos now and will forever be indebted
Halos helped us when our 2 year old passed away unexpectedly. Jamie guided us through everything with the funeral process and helped in ways the funeral home didn't. We are so grateful for her and for her director! They saved us so much money and were such a comfort during the worst time of our life.
I have volunteered for Halos in many capacities. Most recently I have been helping with remote tasks like calling funeral homes and creating Facebook posts. I love getting to help such a great cause! Kelli is one of the kindest people I know and Jamie is so thoughtful in everything she does. It is awesome to witness all the help they give to people in our community and beyond. I could never do what they do.
Halos payed for the cremation of our stillborn daughter. They also provided photography services in the hospital. We would have been lost without their services.
Halos helped my nephew when his son passed at 31 weeks gestation. They paid the full bill for his casket and funeral. We really appreciated all that Kelli and Jamie did for us!
My wife works at Halos and what they do is nothing short of amazing! It is run by just two people who work 80+ hour weeks and help hundreds of families a year. If you ever need someone to lean on after the death of a child up to age 20, Halos is the best place you can find yourself.
I would like to take the opportunity to share what a wonderful resource H.E.L.P. has been for our organization.
When I first started at Western WI Health, multiple providers shared how they wished they had something to provide patients diagnosed with miscarriage. It felt terrible to send patients home with no resources, minimal information on what to expect at home, and what to expect moving forward in the grief process. We wanted patients to know that their pregnancy is still important even though early.
Staff were familiar with the boxes and resources available for stillbirth, and envisioned something similar to provide patients experiencing miscarriage.
When I reached out to Halos they were so accommodating! They created small bags with printed materials, keepsakes, and kits for collection if the patient would be delivering at home. These kits are now available and used in the Emergency Room, Surgery Department, and Clinic, all areas that may have a patient diagnosed with miscarriage. These bags are donated by Halos.
This is a population that is often not recognized. Almost 1 in 5 women will experience early pregnancy loss, and yet very few talk about their experience. This can feel incredibly lonely, and the resources we are able to provide from Halos help to validate our patients’ feelings of loss.
"I just want to say I can’t express it enough how grateful I am for everything you have done to help us through this time. You’ve made everything easy for us and even though it’s still hard to believe all this is real your organization has been a small light in a tunnel so with all my heart I thank you!"
Halos is a wonderful charity to lean on when you need help financially or emotionally after you lose a child!
I have been sewing Angel Gowns for Halos for 4 years. I am so proud to be part of this community and love helping all the Angel Babies be buried in something beautiful! -Rose
It is just amazing what you offer to families that have lost a child, doesn't matter of the age, etc. It is still a loss. I wish we new there was something like this when my stepdaughter passed away. Keep up what you are doing. - Kim E.
On May 5, 2013 I was feeling uneasy, I hadn't felt our daughter move all day. We went to the hospital to make sure that everything was alright. When we got there, they hooked me up to the fetal monitor. They couldn't find her heartbeat anymore. We had an ultrasound and our worst fear was true, our little girl had passed. I spent the next two days in the hospital and gave birth to our beautiful angel on May 7, 2013. While in the hospital, one of our nurses brought us in a basket from halos. It meant a lot to me, we hadn't gotten Emory a blanket yet and there was a beautiful pink blanket in the basket and there was also a book, "We were gonna have a baby but had an angel instead", which I plan on reading to my son. Halos also helped me plan our daughters service and helped us with the cost. I don't think I could have done this without Halos. Halos is wonderful and I am glad I get to be part of the Halos family. Kelli and everyone are wonderful.
My experience with Halos began when I suffered the loss of my beautiful baby girl Vineicia at 24 weeks on September 25th, 2011. I gave birth to her at Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, MN. It was there that I was given a beautiful basket full of items for my little girl. It had blankets, a candle, a pacifier, a cap, gown, and booties, a mold for her hand and foot prints, the book Heaven Is For Real as well as other items. It was such a comfort to have those things for my little girl. During a time of such deep sadness I felt such compassion that someone took the time to put these things together for parents grieving the loss of a child. It wasn't until the next August that I was united with Halos at the 5k walk in remembrance of our little angels. I really felt this immediate bond with other families that had been through what I was going through. I've kept in contact with Halos since that day and through them I learned that I could actually get a certificate of birth by stillborn which was so deeply important to me! Halos also was there for me again to help me pay off the rest of Vineicia's funeral expenses. I'm so thankful for everything they have provided me during this terrible time of my life. I feel so blessed to have their support! I can only hope to pay it forward and be a part of this amazing support group!
"I wanted to extend my gratitude once again, for all of Halo's help & guidance throughout this difficult & unfamiliar territory. I'm sure it weighs heavy on your hearts as well, if not personally relates to you as well. My partner, Quentin & I got the opportunity to pick up our daughter Kynnzleigh's, enlarged FRAMED photo (had no idea that it was also going to be framed already) & her memorial cards that Halos personally made, free of charge for us. Upon arriving there, Kelli greeted us with such compassion & much needed warmth. She was such a kind & comforting person to be able to meet us & share in our grief. And let me just say, the enlarged photo & memorial cards both FAR EXCEEDED our requests & expectations (not that we had any grand expectations, because let's be honest, him & I couldn't have dreamed of "wanting" to do any of this surrounding our daughter) Yet we know in our hearts, that no one could give us what we wanted MOST, our beautiful baby girl :-'(
And, somehow, Halos has been a guide; a small ounce of shimmer shining through our dark & cloudy filled days. From the bottom of our hearts, we're very thankful. And I really do appreciate how much you've helped; I think your [organization] has blossomed into something magical, for those finding themselves at the bottom of the barrel, lost at what to do next."