Bridging People and Places                                    One Person at a Time

♥     Angel Bears

Angel Bears are given to parents by the hospital bereavement staff either during labor, at the time of birth, or when the infant passes away.  With infant death, parents have very little time to be with their son or daughter, and those few memories are precious.  Parenting starts at conception, and grieving includes not only the loss of the infant but also all of the plans and dreams parents had for their infant.    Parents have told us the Angel Bear is a special reminder of their infant.   A number of parents have used the Angel Bear to help siblings deal with their loss.

♥     Memory Boxes

 

Angel Names Association (ANA), and Bridging People and Places (BPP), nonprofit, charitable associations headquartered in Saratoga Springs, New York, partnered in 2004 to create a “Memory Box Project” to benefit parents whose babies are stillborn.     The Memory Boxes, funded by individual and corporate donations and assembled by volunteers who have endured infant loss, are designed to offer comfort and provide support to families grieving their child’s death. They contain comfort items such as a Certificate of Life, a locks of hair bag, a handmade baby blanket, angel bear, journal, single-use camera and photo album, imprint materials for baby’s hand and footprints, and support information and resources. They are presented to parents by hospital staff at the time of the baby’s death.   “Fortunately, most parents leave the hospital with their baby. For those unable to do so, mementos of their baby’s life – a blanket that cradled him, an imprint of her perfect little feet – can offer comfort,” said Michelle Mosca, ANA President and co-founder.  “The Memory Boxes provide families with recognition of their baby’s life and are a reminder that they are not alone in their grief,” added Linda Francis, RN, maternity ward manager at Glens Falls Hospital.   For more information about ANA and the Memory Box Project, contact Michelle Mosca at 518-654-2411 or mgmosca@msn.com, or visit ANA online at www.angelnames.org. For information about the Mason and Megan Program, contact Hollie Vanderzee at bridgingpeople@aol.com.

 

♥     Care Cards

 

We have partnered with the Angel Names Association (ANA) to spread the word to parents and hospitals about the Care Cards created by ANA.   The cards provide useful information for those attempting to support grieving families.  Parents have found it helpful to distribute the Care Cards in the hospital, at the funeral, or with cards thanking others for their expression of sympathy.  Instead of not knowing what to say, recipients are offered ideas for supporting the parents.  To download these free Care Cards from the Angel Names Association Website, click on the following address:  http://www.angelnames.org/site/anaonline/section.php?id=7855