Gabrielle, Spreading HOPE for Kennedy
Ambassador Gabrielle Troutman, fundraising in memory of Kennedy
“Kennedy was mine and my husband's first baby. We got pregnant in 2021. We had a normal, healthy pregnancy, with slight gestational hypertension towards the end which is why they decided to induce me at 38 weeks. Kennedy was born on 11/24/21 with trouble breathing and died at 12 hours old on Thanksgiving morning. They were never able to determine a cause of death and said that he was perfect. We were part of a rare statistic. During what should have been Kennedy's first year of life I raised money each month for a different organization in his honor and one was RTZ Hope, who I had done a support group with. Kennedy made my husband and I parents, and we are deeply grateful for the time we got to spend with him, and miss him every day. I am now 19 weeks pregnant with his little brother, Desmond, and he will grow up knowing about his big brother Kennedy. ”
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 Gabrielle’s fundraiser in honor of Kennedy. 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.