SHARE Atlanta Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Grief Support

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SHARE Atlanta's August through October Updates 2006

SHARE Atlanta's 4Bs group on Sat., July 29 and includes: Dawn Edgeworth (In memory of Kendall), Diane Overton (In memory of Brooke), Kelly Mishkoff (In memory of Zachary and Jeremey), Carrie O'Leary and her mom, Elaine Freeman (In memory of Evan).

Dear Group Members,

The spring and summer have held good things for SHARE Atlanta and the Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Community. The fall brings with it many activities for SHARE Atlanta parents. This update will briefly highlight what is *happening*.

August, September and October Grief Group Meetings...

August - "Grief and Relationships."

We combine the topics of the last two months (secondary losses - loss of: innocence - role or parenting a living child - self-worth - control - hope and the stages/emotions of grief: sadness, panic, denial, shock, release, confusion, etc) and see how every relationship is influenced by these losses and emotions and that our relationships are reflected in our emotions and losses. We learn more coping skills on dealing with these situations as we better understand the grieving process.

September - "Grief and Future Choices"

We look at how the timeline of grief influences the way we think and reflect about the choices on the path of "what will be." We discuss pre-subsequent pregnancy doctor consultations, birth plans, and other options that parents might be considering. Through the years, SA parents have made many good choices as they walked their path and we try to share some of these together.

October - "Significance of You and Your Baby"

We look at the "Significance of You and Your Baby" and talk about our very special relationship with our baby. Parents are encouraged to bring their mementos, pictures and poems to this meeting...if they wish to.

Meetings: Robin (Cascade Methodist meeting), Tammy (Acworth-Kennesaw meeting), Karen (Riverdale meeting - This group will not meet in August-8/3.) and Marcia (Women's meeting) extend our wishes for you to join us as you can. We understand the need to share and express feelings. We each have experienced the pain that you are moving through and wish to support you as we can.

Days of and Directions to our meetings - all meet from 7 to 9 pm.

Can't make it to a meeting..

Join us on our forum, our Sharing Stories page, or in any of our Parent Participation "Options." There are many ways to heal. They are here for you when you need them!

Parent Participation Activities, meetings, etc for parents to become involved with to help to heal

SHARE Atlanta's summer time events:

More information about each will be shared in the next newsletter.

June 22: Cindy Ivey and her mom, Pat Gillespie, Elise Beltrami, LaWanda Lee and Angie Purcell accepted for SA two March of Dimes Awards. These were presented to us because in April our members raised $33,437.71. I would have been there, but I was on my vacation. I am thrilled that we had so many of our walkers join together at the "MODs Thank You" party! Can't wait to see the pictures and hear more about the event. Cindy is writing about it for our newsletter and website. If anyone who attended the party or who helped raise donations would like to send some thoughts along, please do!

July 25: Marcia joined Diane Manheim (Healthy Mothers Healthy Babies - SA partnered with them for April 27 Bereavement Conference where we led two afternoon grief sessions.), Tiffany Parr and Dr. Wes Duke (CDC Stillbirth Survellance Study- In February, eight of our members met and spoke with Tiffany and Wes, and we are supportive of their study.), Janice Daniels and several staff members (Emory Stillbirth Study - In November 2005, SA was invited to present our information at a meeting for local Perinatal Loss Coordinators, and we have been supportive of this study.), Sharon Gregory (Dekalb Medical Perinatal Nurse Coordinator - Sharon and SA have always supported one another.). We met at Emory to begin planning the next statewide Grief Conference for caregivers and for discussing the possibility of creating a Perinatal Advocacy Training program.

July 29: 4B's Outreach Gathering - moms and grandmoms joined Kelly and Marcia to learn how to make our blankets and packaged about 80 blankets to go to local hospitals.

Outreach for Healing Menu (4Bs, MODs, Foster Care Shelter, Festival of Trees).

Brick Orders:

August 1st is the date for getting your memorial brick order to Jennifer.

Fall Events

If you have a poem, a reading, artistic gift, etc. that you would like to share at our Memorial service or in our newsletter, please email me so we can consider it for our group. Thank you!

September 17 from 2 to 5: SA's annual Baby and Family Reunion at Polly and Joe Keen's home.

E-mail Shenia Kirkland, Subsequent Pregnancy Coordinator for information

September 6 at 7 pm: SA business meeting at Marcia's home

September 27: SA participates in Southern Regional's Bereavement Training at Clayton College

October 22 at 3 pm: Remembering that October is "Pregnancy and Infant Awareness Month" - SA's annual Memorial Service at our Angel Garden

November 15 from 7 to 9 pm: SA's annual Women's Candlelighting

December 2- 10: SA's annual tree in memory of our babies at the Festival of Trees in Atlanta (to raise awareness and donations for the Atlanta Children's Healthcare System.) We begin working on this in September so if you would like to be on the Planning Committe, let me know.

SHARE Atlanta Memorial and Candlelighting Services - click on hearts

SHARE Atlanta October - Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Pages - click on hearts

Come join us as you can. Together - we work to heal. Along the way, we support the medical world in their continued efforts in finding answers for our losses, provide outreach for other grieving parents and families, and bring awareness to the Pregnancy and Newborn Loss Community's issues and needs. Every step along the path, we wish to honor the memory of our special babies. The fall holds many special opportunities to do this, and we welcome your participation with us. SHARE Atlanta *is* parents and families coming together for support, comfort, and outreach.

Take care,

Marcia

The love stays...forever in our hearts.

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