“Grief is a reflection of love.
The greater the love, the greater the grief.
Love never ends…neither will grief.”
-Kim Whitmore, Grateful & Grieving
In Feb. 2019, I became part of the “bereaved parents club”— a club no one would volunteer to join, but filled with some of the most amazing people I have ever met. Though our stories differ in their details, we are forever connected by the unimaginable experience of losing a child.
On Feb. 26, 2019, our beautiful daughter, Alana Rose, was stillborn at 32 weeks following an acute, total placental abruption. The complications nearly took my life, too. Thanks to an extraordinary medical team, I survived. My physical recovery took months, but my journey through grief will last a lifetime.
We wrote in Alana’s obituary that the doctors saved my life, but the nurses saved my soul. Their compassion reinforced something I now carry into my work as a nurse, educator and advocate: The care we provide families following the loss of a baby matters profoundly, and that need for support extends far beyond the hospital.
I have learned that grief and gratitude can coexist. This inspired my book, Grateful & Grieving, about embracing the “&”— recognizing that we can honor our grief while finding gratitude, purpose and joy.
Transforming grief into hope and action
In Aug. 2019, my husband, Corey, and I co-founded the Alana Rose Foundation in memory of our daughter. Our mission is to raise awareness and provide hope, healing and support to families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss.
Through educational programs, remembrance events, burial assistance and advocacy, we strive to ensure families feel seen, supported and connected.
Our advocacy helped advance Wisconsin’s Stillbirth Recognition and Support Act, signed into law in April 2026. This bipartisan legislation established a nonrefundable state income tax credit of up to $2,000 for eligible parents following a stillbirth. While no financial support can replace a child, this law acknowledges that our babies existed, their lives mattered and their families deserve recognition and support.
October Is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month
Throughout October, the Alana Rose Foundation and our partners in the Wisconsin Grief Collective created opportunities for remembrance, education and advocacy.
A memorial display at the Wisconsin State Capitol honors babies throughout the month, alongside resources for grieving families.
On Oct. 1, we hosted the inaugural Alana Love & Loss Lecture, bringing together bereaved parents, healthcare professionals and community partners to explore ways to improve perinatal bereavement care.
On Oct.15, we partnered with Milwaukee’s Mattie’s Memory for the International Wave of Light for International Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Families gathered across Wisconsin to remember their babies as Milwaukee’s Hoan Bridge glowed pink and blue in their honor.
On Oct. 25, we invited families and supporters to the Wisconsin State Capitol for our Empty Stroller Awareness Walk. Empty strollers symbolize the babies missing from our arms and the often-invisible grief their families carry.
These events create spaces where families feel seen, babies are remembered and grief inspires connection and change.
Remembering, supporting and creating change
Our babies’ lives may have been brief, but their impact is everlasting. We cannot change the fact that our babies died, but together, we can change how the world supports the families who love and grieve them.
I encourage everyone to make a difference. Say a baby’s name. Reach out to a grieving family, even years later. Attend an awareness event, volunteer or advocate for better support.
Together, we can honor the babies we carry in our hearts and create a world where no family has to walk this journey alone.
Learn more at AlanaRose.org.
