Alex, Spreading HOPE for Anik Kaysin
Ambassador Alex kaysin, fundraising in memory of Anik kaysin
“Our pregnancy journey was years in the making and fraught with complications stemming from infertility. After years of struggling with invasive interventions and experiencing miscarriages, my wife and I finally let ourselves experience the pent up joy, anticipation and hope of welcoming a baby into our lives. Sadly, these emotions were swiftly dashed and replaced with grief and pain when the sudden onset of preterm labor combined with a congenital heart defect diagnosis marked the sorrowful end of our pregnancy journey. As individuals and a couple, we did what we could to gather ourselves and support one another. Our work as medical and public health professionals gave meaning to daily life but the pain was deep and ever present. We sought comfort through art and poetry, spirituality, and counseling, including attending support groups organized by RTZ: HOPE. Over the last 5 years, the grief of losing Anik has become less acute, but the emotions of losing a newborn baby are still ever present and susceptible to various triggers. We continue to honor our son, Anik, by acknowledging his existence as part of our family's story, through yearly letter writing on the anniversary of his birth, keeping his memory alive in the family and letting our living children know they have an older brother who was sadly taken from us much too soon and whose memory deserves to live on.
High quality and accessible support during the crisis that is pregnancy and infant loss can be hard to find. We were lucky to have connected with RTZ HOPE whose exceptional facilitators created a safe and welcoming environment in which we could share and connect with other couples going through similar grief journeys. It helped us process our emotions and provided useful coping mechanisms which were therapeutic on many levels.”
Pregnancy and infant loss is an unique type of loss, leaving the grievers to feel isolated and unsure of how to move forward. We'd be grateful if you you would consider making a contribution to Alex’ s fundraiser in honor of Anik Kaysin. Your gift ensures that other parents who endure loss on their journey to parenthood have the support, resources, and community they need in order to navigate life after loss.
With your support, here’s what we were able to accomplish during 2022 (2022 Annual Report):
Fifty percent of support group participants received financial support to ensure that all parents have access to services.
Enhanced outreach to and created support services for Black, Indigenous, and other Communities of Color as a response to the alarming rate of preterm births and stillbirths caused by racial disparities in perinatal and infant health.
Offered 50 different support group programs (virtual workshops, virtual support groups, and in-person retreats) to our community of bereaved families.
Supplied our unique perinatal bereavement guides to 400 hospitals and providers to assist in caring for grieving families.
Hosted 10 perinatal bereavement education webinars to parents and providers.
Created community and spread awareness about pregnancy and infant loss through social media.