Rachel first came to Empty Cradle 7 years after her second loss. She and her husband, John, were looking for a place where they could be among people who understood their grief. In 2001, Rachel and John were living in New Mexico when they suffered a miscarriage at 12 weeks. Rachel was not offered any support or resources to help deal with her grief. In 2003, she became pregnant again and welcomed a son, Jonathan Taylor LeRoy Cash Redhouse, 8 weeks early. “JT” passed away when he was 3 days old due to complications from posterior urethral valves. Again, she and John were not offered any support or bereavement resources. In 2010, Rachel and John attended an Empty Cradle support meeting and finally felt supported in their grief. They began volunteering as meeting facilitators and became co-presidents in 2015. Rachel and John have four subsequent children.
John currently serves as co-president and treasurer. After John’s wife’s miscarriage in 2001 and the loss of his infant son, JT, in 2003, he was desperate to find support as a bereaved father. After finding Empty Cradle in 2010, John felt supported, but he still felt there was something missing in his grief journey. With the backing of the Board of Directors, John began a men’s break-out support group during the East County meetings. Even after passing on the meeting facilitation to new facilitators, Brian has continued to hold the men’s support. John continues to make father’s bereavement support a priority in his work with Empty Cradle.
Bella and her husband Matt first came to Empty Cradle in 2018 after the passing of their daughter. Adeline passed away due to premature birth complications, she was born at 23 weeks and 5 days and passed at two weeks old. Empty Cradle was recommended to Bella and her husband by her HR representative at work who had experienced infant loss as well. After losing Adeline they suffered 3 early losses prior to 10 weeks, all pregnancies were conceived via IVF. After another round of IVF they went on to have their rainbow baby in 2021. Bella hopes to help provide guidance and kinship to other families who have experienced loss to provide a supportive community.
Amy first found Empty Cradle in 2014 after the loss of her daughter at 10 weeks gestation. She began volunteering in 2015 and has served in different capacities. She had another early miscarriage in 2017 and had her rainbow in 2019. She is currently carrying a surviving twin and due in Spring 2021.
Angela found solace in Empty Cradle after losing her daughter, Mira, who was four days old, in 2020. She found that although it wasn't something that anyone wanted to bond over, having this support group was comforting. Within the safe confines of the group, she is finding empathy, kindness, listening, advice, love, and healing. She joined the board as a facilitator in hopes that this passage of pain could help other people in a meaningful way - as it did for her.
Karina found Empty Cradle in 2015 when her son Robert was stillborn. She found support attending the in person groups and eventually began to volunteer at various events and provides Spanish phone support. She will now co-facilitate the new virtual Spanish support group.
Jill Landry is a military spouse (now retired) and had 4 miscarriages after the birth of her son. She attended her first Empty cradle meeting in 2001 after her third loss. She attended through her 4th loss and her subsequent pregnancy in 2003. Empty Cradle meetings sustained her and provided her with the type of support she did even know she needed. In 2010, she became a volunteer for Empty Cradle. Her journey and those that she met along the way has redefined her life and how she navigates it. She appreciates the layered and complicated stories she has heard and carries with her those shares and lends them to others in their own complicated journey. Since 2010 she has volunteered for Empty Cradle formerly as the East County meeting coordinator, and for years on the phone hotline. She has stayed entirely connected to the world of loss, and appreciates and the layered stories that she has collected in talking to families devastated by loss. She is the host of the newest virtual meeting for Empty Cradle, focusing on miscarriages that begins on March 10.
