FAMILY
words by CORI JENSEN
photography by LINDSAY KAYE PHOTOGRAPHY
Hopeful Heart Project
providing hope, healing and support to parents after the loss of a child
F
rankly, there are things you hope you never need to use. Flood insurance, a fire extinguisher, even a seat belt. These come to mind when I think of things that I’m very grateful are there, but I hope I never need. Grief support. You may think, “I hope I don’t need that,” but that’s unrealistic. We all will be, or have been, affected by death. The caveat to grief support that I’m referring to what most pray they will never experience. And that is of a loss of your child. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT: Kayla Sorum, Cori Jensen, and Jen Burgard
Pictured are some of the loss Mom's holding our favorite memory items of our lost babies. Some of the bears shown were specially made in the same length and weight our children were when they passed away. Some brought urns, headbands, pictures, blankets, jewelry, etc. As parents of loss small material mementos hold special tangible reminders.
I’m at the one-year mark for me and my husband having lost our baby girl Willow Jane on November 4, 2018. A life-altering devastation. Our faith in God, deep love as a couple, and friends and family support have been the nucleus of managing our life after our unfathomable loss. And yet, truth be known, it still isn’t always enough for me. It’s not enough for many mamas. Grief is a fluid beast. It’s ever changing and completely individualized. With that, I say this with confidence: Having a support group that knows exactly what you are going through on a personal level is indescribably comforting. The infant loss support group that I love so much, The Hopeful Heart Project, has been like a refuge for me. I never feel like I’m able to accurately define the level of kindness, compassion
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and understanding in its well-deserved totality. Words are plentiful, but when you find a safe space to be able to share about your loss, about your child and about what parenting a baby that’s not in your arms looks like, words can fail. This support isn’t always tangible, and more a feeling and an emotion — like the ease of wearing your favorite sweatshirt on a relaxed Saturday with no pressure to go outside and be seen. Always there and always comfortable. October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. A time when loss parents may share a little more than usual about their baby/ child/pregnancy that they hold in their hearts. If you or someone you know is needing an outlet, I encourage you to learn more about the Hopeful Heart Project.