Portia, Spreading HOPE for Miracle Babies
Ambassador Portia Hawthorne, fundraising in memory of Miracle Babies
“I’ve had 4 losses during my fertility journey with 1 survivor which would be myself. From this gut wrenching experience I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to gain knowledge of my body. With each loss I seemed to have enlightenment on my body’s unique makeup & struggles…. It’s definitely bittersweet. Living with loss is obviously hard but when you feel you have no control over your body it’s added suffering. I’ve changed my diet , lifestyle and doctors over the years to aid in my recovery. Though each day is a toss up, Staying grateful & maintaining faith helps to keep me sane. I honor my losses every day by making space for my emotions and giving my self grace. I’m a mom even without a full successful pregnancy, my angel babies are always with & within me.
My 3rd pregnancy was the worst for me. I miscarried February of this year and I was so angry and lost. I came upon RTZ HOPE just in search of a safe place, a place to feel understood. The outreach and support I received was amazing and exactly what I needed. To be amongst other strong vulnerable women was part of my cure. I had an awesome instructor of our particular support group which was an added blessing. Just being able to share, feel heard and seen was so helpful for me. I’m also so honored to share space with RTZ community, for the members for sharing their stories and experiences.”
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 would consider making a contribution to Portia’s fundraiser in honor of Miracle Babies. 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.