Jessica, Spreading HOPE for Jacob
Ambassador Jessica Van Wyen, sharing in memory of Jacob
“After multiple failed IVF attempts, my husband and I were overjoyed to finally have success when our embryo finally stuck. The pregnancy was full of hope, joy, and excitement. After the anatomy scan showed a seemingly healthy, thriving boy, we started really planning for the arrival of our much loved son. We started the nursery, set up a registry, and scheduled a baby shower. At 24 weeks, another scan showed an alarming abnormality in our son's brain that had previously been missed. At 25 weeks another ultrasound and fetal MRI showed several more brain abnormalities. Devastated, we decided to spare our son a life of unimaginable suffering and interrupted the pregnancy. At 26 weeks we were blessed to spend a few hours with him after his passing. Holding our sweet boy and kissing his soft, downy cheeks was sacred and we are incredibly grateful for that time with him. That was over 2 1/2 years ago now.
I have never experienced loss and grief like that of losing Jacob. I was broken apart, never to go back to who I was before him. Loving him is the sweetest joy. Losing him is the heaviest sadness. Though I didn't get to mother him in the ways I had imagined, he is still a part of my daily life and I look for ways to honor him as often as possible. I look for signs of him and relish the closeness I feel when I see daisies, bunnies, or get caught in a rainstorm.
I was so lucky to find RTZ HOPE via social media just a few months after we ended our wanted pregnancy. Though my friends and family were very loving and supportive, I still felt alone in my grief and in the particular nuances that come with Termination for Medical Reasons (TFMR). When I logged into my first virtual support group and found myself looking at the faces of nine other women who had experienced a similar journey, I was overcome with emotion. That support group offered me so many tools to acknowledge and honor my grief, my son, and my new path forward - and I gained lifelong friendships and community with my fellow participants and the facilitators. I truly don't believe that I would be in the place of peace or experienced the amount of growth that I have in the last two years without RTZ HOPE. I will be forever grateful for the organization's impact on my life.”
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 RTZ Hope. 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.