Grieving parents are just as intensely proud of their children as the parents of living children and want to share them. Ask what he was like and express interest in any pictures the parents may have. I love that through our son she found a way to improve the world.Ĥ. I love the fact that she chose to help children in her support of us. Be creative with mementos a friend sent a personalized blanket from an organization that supports foster care and adoption. The parents will also need a special place to put the blanket their child was wrapped in and any clothes they wore in the hospital – a personalized wooden memory box is a lovely gift to store these precious items. Jewelry is a lovely memento, and there are many online options for personalized jewelry, but anything the parents can wear and touch on an everyday basis to feel connected to their little one will be treasured. If they have shared pictures of their baby with you, create gifts incorporating those images. While being local is the only option for physically making food for the family, there are many ways you can help feed them from across the country or even the world.ģ. You can also send food delivery gift cards, gift cards to favorite restaurants, or ask if there is a night you can call in a delivery order for the family. If you are not local, you can still send frozen foods from many online sources – we received so many frozen meals from across the country that we had to purchase an extra mini freezer to store them all. Bring frozen foods and stock their freezer (the parents will likely feel unable to cook or go about normal household activities long after the meal train ends). Parents will remember your intentions long after they remember your words.Ģ. You may say the ‘wrong thing’ at times – honestly, that’s fine, as long as your intentions are love and support. The most painful thing you can do is not acknowledge the gravity of their loss. The parents frequently won’t feel up to answering questions, but a simple, “I love you and am thinking of you and your son” goes a long way. Don’t expect a response, just let them know you are thinking of them. And then, reach out again, and again, and again. Call, email, text, facebook message – reach out to them. The most important thing you can do to help someone after they experience this kind of loss is simply to show up. Here are fifteen simple ways to help grieving families following stillbirth:ġ. It is for this reason that I am writing this post, to empower friends and family in supporting their loved ones during the most difficult time of their lives. I have found a common theme among friends and family after witnessing loss to be the desire to help, but feeling paralyzed by the fear of doing or saying the wrong thing, or simply not having any idea WHAT to do. After talking to other parents who have also lost their children to stillbirth, I can appreciate even more how lucky we were in our support network. We are so fortunate to be surrounded by so many amazing people. I can honestly say I was, and continue to be, astounded by the kindness and actions of family, friends, and even strangers. After unexpectedly losing our sweet son at just shy of 39 weeks gestation, we were floored by the outpouring of love and support we received.
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