TheMommyBlog

A Small Victory has entered the Case Foundation and Parade Magazine: America’s Giving Challenge. The eight individuals whose “charity badges” attract the most unique donors* through the America’s Giving Challenge will get $50,000 for their cause. And the 100 nonprofits with the greatest number of unique donations* made to them through America’s Giving Challenge will each get $1,000. The entire Challenge is designed to take place online, involving the use of such everyday activities as e-mailing, blogging, and social networking. Anyone can donate to a cause using a valid credit card or other form of payment accepted by our donation processing partners Network for Good and GlobalGiving. The Challenge began December 13 at 3pm EST and will close January 31 at 3pm EST so we have to get going!

*To succeed at the Challenge, the objective is to get as many people as you can to donate to your cause. Duplicate donations from the same individual will only be counted once. This has nothing to do with how much money we raise but has everything to do with the number of supporters we have.

A Small Victory is a non-profit organization in Washington State intended to help create memories for parents who have lost a child through miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death. Most families have generations to make memories but families that experience these types of loss have only a day or two to create memories
that must last a lifetime. One of the most difficult aspects of grief is feeling regret about what we did or did not do with our children after they were born. A Small Victory hopes the items they provide will prevent bereaved parents from having similar regrets.

A Small Victory donates Loss Kits to local hospitals containing baby blankets, disposable cameras, air-dry clay for hand and feet molds, blank journals, pens, and bereavement information. Selective parts of these kits work well with already existing memory boxes offered at some hospitals.

In addition, A Small Victory is connecting families with peer-to-peer counseling and group support. At the family’s request, A Small Victory will provide a trained volunteer to come to the family’s hospital location to counsel and act as advocate. These volunteers have had losses and are able to help the families in the grieving and decision making processes during and following the family’s loss. They will then connect the families with group support meetings to attend after their hospital stay.

For hospitals that request it, A Small Victory can provide classroom style training for nurses and other medical staff on the importance of these Kits and how to use them.

Loss kits include:

• Hand-painted Box
• Baby Blanket
• hand-made blankets from various volunteers
• Gown
• Stuffed Animal
• Impressions Kit
• Disposable Camera
• Mailing List Postcard (this postcard sent to the post office and it stops all baby related mail from being delivered to the bereaved family)
• Heart Charm
• Journal
• Certificate of Life (not needed for neonatal loss); currently in the state of Washington birth certificates are unavailable to miscarriages and stillbirths
• Wisp Of Hair Card
• Baby’s Prints Card
• Data Card
• Empty Cradle, Broken Heart by Deborah L. Davis, Ph.D.: The number one book that bereaved parents recommend. It encourages grieving and makes suggestions for coping. It has special sections for fathers, pregnancy after a loss, parenting after a loss as well as covering a wide variety of pregnancy and infant loss.
• When Hello Means Goodbye by Pat Schwieburt, RN & Paul Kirk, MD: This book helps parents to make better use of the limited time they have with their children. It also discusses reactions from friends and neighbors and the different feelings that accompany grief.
• Dear Cheyenne by Joanne Cacciatore-Garard, This book is a journey into grief, a collection of love, faith and miracles, and a celebration of motherhood told through letters and poetry written from one bereaved mother to her stillborn daughter.
• Flash of Life by Kara L.C. Jones: The narrative is one family’s experience of pregnancy and stillbirth showing how the death of a child affects a woman, a marriage, a family, and a community.
• Mrs. Duck And The Woman by Kara L.C. Jones: A story about the loss of a child and how to start over again after that loss. This book teaches compassion and understanding while making us feel that we are never alone.
• Little Footprints by Dorothy Ferguson, This special baby book features a journal for feelings, memorable dates, pictures, lock of hair and a card from caregivers.
• Various Pamphlets
• Kleenex
• Pen