After a death occurs, the bereaved often struggle with what is lost and what is left. The loss of a child is terribly painful. Secondary losses, such as the inability to plan for your child’s future, only add to the pain.

But what is left? For some, it is the ability to do something. Some people take comfort in running, writing, or eventually supporting another family that is grieving. Others are left with a new insight into life or the motivation to do something they didn’t do before.

Some bereaved families find purpose in supporting organizations that help others in the way they were helped. One of our Infant Death Center families recently honored their daughter by arranging a generous donation to the Infant Death Center through the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Foundation. Another family, previously highlighted in Healing Hearts, organizes an annual charity golf outing and donates the proceeds in memory of their baby girl.

These gifts help provide grief materials and support for bereaved parents and families throughout the state. The Infant Death Center’s goal is to reach out to every Wisconsin family who has experienced the death of an infant and help them cope with what was lost and what is left. The IDC supports families in their grief throughout the year following their child’s death. We do this through phone calls, emails, text messages, and cards. The Infant Death Center also provides grief education for other professionals who work with bereaved families.

Countless people have been touched by this generosity to the Infant Death Center. We are grateful as we continue our work to support Wisconsin’s grieving families.