DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SUPPORT & FACILITATOR

Betsy Winter came to Return to Zero: HOPE following the loss of her daughter Eliza, who was diagnosed during pregnancy with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome and Trisomy 18 — together incompatible with life. Facing an impossible decision alongside her family, Betsy walked the profound and sacred terrain of loving a baby while preparing for her death. Eliza was stillborn at 41 weeks. That experience — and the depth of presence, clarity, and calling it revealed — set everything that followed in motion.

Betsy has been part of Return to Zero: HOPE since its inception as a nonprofit in 2018 — present from the very beginning and instrumental in shaping what it has become. As Director of Community Support, she develops curriculum, creates and grows programs, facilitates retreats and support groups, and trains providers in perinatal loss support alongside founder Kiley Hanish.

She is a nationally recognized Somatic Practitioner and Grief, Trauma & Bereavement Specialist whose work lives at the intersection of somatic trauma therapy, grief, attachment, and relational healing. As a bereaved mother, survivor of early trauma, and long-time leader in the PAIL community, she brings a depth of understanding that is both lived and learned — each one inseparable from the other.

Betsy maintains a virtual private practice serving bereaved parents nationally and lives in Olympia, Washington with her husband and two living children. To learn more visit betsywinter.com.

FACILITATOR

Alejandra is a writer, journalist, and storyteller based in Northern Colorado. While she currently works as a technical writer, Alejandra has always found immense comfort and power in using her writing as both creative self-expression and as a way to connect with others. After her son, Ronan, was born during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic at 23 weeks gestation and died six weeks later, Alejandra leaned into writing as a way to share Ronan's story and process the magnitude of his loss. Her experience with three subsequent miscarriages further informed her understanding of grief, recurrent loss, infertility, undiagnosed chronic illness, and trauma. 

Attending RTZ Hope support groups and connecting with other bereaved parents has made an immense impact on Alejandra. As an RTZ facilitator, she hopes to bring fellow grieving parents unconditional support, an empathetic witness, and above all, community. Suffering such a traumatic personal loss during one of the most isolating times in history taught Alejandra how incredibly important it is for grievers to know they are not alone.

Alejandra lives in a small Denver-Boulder suburb you've probably never heard of with her husband, sister-in-law, two living children, and a mischievous cat named Wash. You can read or listen to her work here. 

FACILITATOR

Anita has benefited greatly from the support provided by RTZ HOPE and wants to honor her journey by giving back to others in similar situations. After experiencing the loss of her twin daughters in 2020 and a miscarriage in 2021, she has found ways to bring purpose to her pain by being present with others who have endured the death of their babies. Anita continues to learn how to parent her living children after multiple losses, while incorporating ways to honor her children that have gone before her.

Anita has 15 years of experience working with various non-profits and providing services for underprivileged populations and those on the margins. She holds a BA and MA in Religious Studies. She currently resides near Washington DC, where she enjoys homeschooling her children, hiking, and exploring the outdoors. She and her husband Brent have four living children, and are the bereaving parents of identical twin daughters, Mary Rose and Elizabeth Leia, and Lucia-Francisco.

FACILITATOR

Bonnie is an outpatient palliative care physician, who works regularly with patients and families living with serious illness to assist in achieving their best quality of life, while  also navigating the emotional and practical landscapes inherent to living with difficult diagnoses.

She had her own profound encounter with death and grief in 2022, when she unexpectedly lost her second son Benji when he was 16 months old. This, in addition to struggles with infertility and multiple miscarriages before and after Benji, has informed her desire to connect with other bereaved parents who are also navigating the loneliness, trauma and deep grief of losing a beloved child. She lives in Oakland, CA with her husband and two living children.

FACILITATOR

Emily is a licensed clinical social worker in Louisville, KY, who specializes in trauma therapy and mindfulness meditation. She brings both professional and lived-experience knowledge to the RTZ community.

In 2021, she and her husband were thrilled to bring their first child Xavier Thomas into the world. But after receiving a fatal diagnosis at 20 weeks gestation, they made the heartbreaking choice to terminate the pregnancy. At the time, abortion was still legal in Kentucky, but there were many state-mandated obstacles which added trauma to the already devastating loss of their son. 

Emily found RTZ Hope through social media, and joined a support group specific to terminations for medical reasons. Finding this community of people who ‘get it’ has been the most healing part of her grief journey, and she is excited to give back by being a part of the RTZ team.

FACILITATOR

In 2024, after trying to get pregnant through IUI and IVF for years, Maru had a stillbirth of her baby boy, Bronx, at 37 weeks pregnant. This loss took a toll on Maru, her wife and oldest daughter. With the support of the RTZ community, Maru found the strength to try one last time in hopes for a live birth. In July of 2025 Maru and her family welcomed a healthy baby girl. This devastating journey, the death of her son, paired with Maru’s extensive academic background in the field of mental health, has culminated into her desire to give back by being of service to the community that carried her and continues to, through the hardest years of her life. 

Maru is a licensed marital and family therapist, board certified art therapist and has a PhD in International Psychology with a concentration in Organization and Systems. Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina and growing up in Mexico City, Maru has a diverse background and uses a multi-systemic lens throughout all her professional roles. Maru began her art therapy private practice in 2013 and has worked with couples and families experiencing loss and grief, complex trauma, and suicide loss. Simultaneously, she is a full-time professor at Loyola Marymount University, Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy with a Specialization in Art Therapy, in Los Angeles, CA. 

En 2024, tras años intentando concebir mediante inseminación intrauterina (IIU) y fecundación in vitro (FIV), Maru sufrió la pérdida de su bebé, Bronx, a las 37 semanas de gestación. Esta pérdida la afectó profundamente, al igual que a su esposa y a su hija mayor. Con el apoyo de la comunidad de RTZ, Maru encontró la fuerza para intentarlo una última vez con la esperanza de tener un hijo. En julio de 2025, Maru y su familia dieron la bienvenida a una niña sana. Esta devastadora experiencia, la muerte de su hijo, junto con la amplia formación académica de Maru en el campo de la salud mental, la impulsaron a querer retribuir a la comunidad que la apoyó y continúa apoyándola durante los años más difíciles de su vida.

Maru es terapeuta matrimonial y familiar, arte terapeuta y tiene un doctorado en Psicología Internacional con especialización en Organización y Sistemas. Nacida en Buenos Aires, Argentina, y criada en Ciudad de México, Maru cuenta con una amplia experiencia y aplica un enfoque multisistémico en todas sus funciones profesionales. Maru inició su práctica privada de arteterapia en 2013 y ha trabajado con parejas y familias que han sufrido pérdidas y duelo, traumas complejos y pérdidas por suicidio. Simultáneamente, es profesora de tiempo completo en la Universidad Loyola Marymount, donde imparte una maestría en Terapia Matrimonial y Familiar con especialización en Arteterapia, en Los Ángeles, CA.

FACILITATOR

Meredith is a former creative director, agency owner and copywriter who stepped away from the advertising industry following the stillbirth of her son, Hank, in 2020. In the years since, she has found deep support and healing through RTZ, participating in numerous support groups andretreats that became an essential part of her grief journey. Through these experiences, she came to understand the power of being witnessed, deeply listened to, and held in compassionate community. Feeling profoundly grateful for the care she received, she is committed to giving back by offering a steady, empathetic presence and holding space for others as they navigate pregnancy and infant loss. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their living child.

FACILITATOR

Rachel is a mom to her beloved star babies -- identical twins, Poppy and Willow, and a baby boy. She experienced both pregnancy losses in 2022, and finding RTZ shortly after losing her twins has been the most meaningful part of her grief journey. She has participated in support groups, workshops, and the May 2024 retreat.

Rachel and her husband live in Parker, CO. While they do not have living children, they are devoted parents to their sweet pup, Bodhi, and they cherish being an aunt and uncle to many nieces and nephews. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring Colorado, traveling, reading, baking, crocheting, and cheering on her favorite football teams.

Throughout her career, Rachel has worked with youth in a variety of roles and has received training in both coaching and mediation. Facilitating and volunteering with RTZ allows her to give back to a community that has meant so much to her while also honoring her star babies.

FACILITATOR

Rob is a musician, father, husband, and Executive Director/Co-Founder of SAD DADS CLUB. He currently lives in Falmouth, Maine with his wife, Tehilah, and their rainbow baby, now 5-year old son, Dallas. Rob and Tehilah’s daughter and forever firstborn, Lila, was delivered stillborn at 38 weeks. Rob co-founded SAD DADS CLUB alongside Jay (Bella’s dad) and Chris (Izzy’s dad) as a way for fathers to connect and support one another through the unique complexities of infant and child loss from the father’s perspective. The now-global community has nurtured a space for men to be vulnerable and expressive with one another. SAD DADS CLUB is working to redefine masculinity and showcase the strength, power, and benefits of being emotionally in touch and expressive in healthy ways.

FACILITATOR

Ryan Rose Weaver is a writer, educator and consultant based in the NYC metro area. After beginning her career as a journalist, stringing for major newspapers and editing travel books, went on to get her M.Ed and to design community-building and educational materials for the likes of foreign and U.S. state governments; startups like Yelp, Readworks and Tinkergarten; and a wide variety of public, private and charter schools. She has taught classes in writing, cooking and gardening to hundreds of children and adults across NYC. She continues to be passionate about creating inclusive spaces for growth that help people foster a deeper connection to themselves, their voices, their communities, and their history. After losing her daughter, Saule, at 21 weeks gestation, while parenting her living child, Neil, she found a community of kindred spirits with RTZ Hope that has helped her move from surviving to thriving. When she’s not teaching online, you’ll find her penning entries for her semi-regular newsletter on reclaiming creativity after loss here, posting photos of her garden on Instagram here, or stocking up on kimchi at H Mart.