My Nonprofit Reviews

Why I support pregnancy loss programs at Through the Heart (www.throughtheheart.org)

In February 2013, my husband & I lost our first child, a daughter, at 20 weeks into the pregnancy. It was one of the most difficult, heart-wrenching, emotional situations either of us has ever dealt with. In the days and weeks following the loss, we felt alone. All around us the world was continuing on as it always had and yet ours had stopped. We felt disjointed, as though we didn’t know how to live a normal life anymore. We went back to work, back to our daily routines, but we were just going through the motions. Many people around us acted as though nothing had happened. We learned in that time how deafening silence can be.

Losing a child changes a person. It carries a special type of pain that really can’t be described, only understood by those who have been there. In the midst of our grief, we decided we didn’t want anyone else to ever feel alone in the same way we did. And so, in March 2013, Through the Heart was born.
In the time since, TTH has continued to grow and establish itself as a key resource for those experiencing a pregnancy loss.

In November 2013 we launched our Comfort Kit program, which has received an overwhelming response. We’ve shared stories, started discussions, been an outlet for thoughts and emotions, and helped grieving parents from all over the country – and the world – on their journey to healing.
I’ve learned first-hand how comforting this community can be. After 2 years of dealing with infertility we received the surprising news that I was pregnant. After several times of seeing the baby growing on target and hearing its heartbeat, we went in for what should have been a routine scan just shy of 12 weeks. It was then that we discovered there was no heartbeat. I had miscarried our son.

The process wasn’t any easier the second time around but one thing had changed – we had a place to turn. We were more knowledgeable and we had others to talk to. I quickly learned that I also felt more comfortable in telling the news to others than I had the first time because I was confident in my experience, not worried about being judged or having a stigma attached to the situation. TTH also gave us a way to stay distracted and help others – in the early days following the miscarriage, we kept busy by assembling Comfort Kits for others suffering a loss. It helped in our healing to be able to make sure others knew they too had a place to go. That is why I give to Through the Heart – because no grieving parent should ever feel alone.