ADVENTHEALTH MID-AMERICA
Pickleball Tournament Honors Hannah Logan Nearly $50,000 raised to support Perinatal Bereavement Fund at AdventHealth
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ike many young couples, Andy and Erica Logan were excited to welcome their second child. “I was 31 weeks and 5 days pregnant,” said Erica. “A sonogram four days earlier confi med all was well.” Joyful expectations suddenly spiraled into disorienting shock and crushing sorrow. “We had no indication that our baby’s heart was going to stop—and then it did. Our dreams quickly turned into an unimaginable nightmare,” she said. “Despite many tests, we still don’t know why it happened. But we do know we could not have endured this traumatic [stillborn] experience without the tremendous support of the Perinatal Bereavement program at AdventHealth Shawnee Mission.”
unthinkable situation. Today, she is the only nurse in the Kansas City metro dedicated full-time to perinatal bereavement and postpartum emotional support, including training other team members to ensure continuity of care. Stillbirth is one of the most devastating losses, affecting over 24,000 families in the U.S. each year. The causes for most stillbirths are unknown. “We understand the complex emotional toll of infant loss. Families experience a range of emotions including guilt, anger, sadness, loneliness and disbelief,” said Rausch. “Everything we do is dedicated to surrounding families like Erica and Andy Logan with compassionate care and providing resources they need on this difficult journey. And we continue to walk this journey with them for months, even years.”
daughter, to give to her from her sister,” added Erica. “We will always cherish the special mementoes of our daughter. Being in such shock as we were, I can’t imagine we would have had anything to remember her by without this very special program,” said Andy. “We’ve since learned that many families in our situation don’t receive the sensitive, caring and coordinated support like we did at AdventHealth.”
Logan family pickleball tournament raises nearly $50,000 After the loss of Hannah, Erica and Andy participated in support groups led by Rausch. Erica also started playing pickleball with her dad. “The game helped me get my mind off hings and helped rebuild my confidence,” she said. “Driving home after a game last summer, I had the idea to host a pickleball tournament to honor Hannah and also help “Guiding us through raise funds to support the every bewildering step” program.” Hannah’s handprints, Tricia Rausch, a nurse They reached out to the footprints and photos at AdventHealth Shawnee AdventHealth Kansas City Mission in Kansas, coordi“Tricia encouraged us Foundation which helped nates the hospital’s Perinatal to spend time holding them coordinate the event. Bereavement and Postpartum Hannah—time we’re deeply On Nov. 6, 2022, more than Emotional Support prograteful to have had with 150 people attended the gram. “Tricia has been there our baby,” said Andy. The fi st annual Logan Family for us every day to talk program also coordinated Pickleball Tournament at through the confusing, scary, handprints, footprints and Chicken N Pickle, an indoor/ sad feelings—the things no photos of Hannah, along with outdoor entertainment one can understand unless a Christmas ornament and facility in Overland Park, you’ve had a stillborn,” said a special memory box that Kansas. The event raised Erica. included the hat and blanket more than $30,000 to benefit After her fourth child Hannah had been wrapped the AdventHealth Kansas was stillborn nearly 15 in. “They even provided a City Foundation’s Perinatal years ago, Rausch threw beautiful stuffed animal for Bereavement Fund. In herself into helping other us to bring home to Emma, October 2023, the second families facing the same our then two-year-old annual tournament raised
26 OUTLOOKMAG.ORG FEB 2024
SPONSORED BY AH MID-AMERICA REGION
nearly $20,000. “Everyone grieves in their own way. Doing an event like this is what I knew how to do. It gave me something I could control when so much felt out of control,” said Erica. Helping families feel less alone “When tragedies like this happen in our community, we’re grateful there are trained, dedicated and truly amazing people like Tricia and the staff t AdventHealth Shawnee Mission who were there to pick us up when we couldn’t pick ourselves up,” shared Erica. “And by sharing Hannah’s story through the tournament, we hope it helps others understand a little bit more about what families go through when they experience pregnancy loss or a stillborn child—and help others affected by such a tragic loss to feel less alone,” said Andy.
Learn more at givekcf.adventhealth. com/LoganFamily.
