Turning loss into love: How our ED team strengthened support for families after infant loss

PARKER, Colo. — Loss is never easy -- and the loss of an infant is among the most heartbreaking experiences a family can endure.

According to the CDC, infant loss remains a significant reality in the United States, with approximately 5.6 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, and one in four pregnancies ending in loss, including miscarriage and stillbirth. These moments call not only for clinical excellence, but for deep compassion and presence.

In December 2024, a mother experienced the sudden loss of her 9-day-old infant in the AdventHealth Parker Emergency Department. While she later expressed profound gratitude for the kindness and compassion shown by the ED team during those unimaginable moments, she also shared something important: after leaving the hospital, she felt unsure of what to do next. She lacked resources specific to postpartum care after neonatal loss -such as guidance on lactation suppression and emotional support.

Rather than letting this feedback end there, our team members chose to listen, learn, and respond with love.

Caitlin Curtis

In March 2025, Jennifer Jones, RN, Clinical Nurse Manager for the ED, received the mother’s feedback through patient advocacy. Jennifer immediately reached out to leaders and clinical nurses across departments, including Obstetrics, to better understand what resources existed and where gaps remained. Through collaboration with Shiri Laufer, RN (OB bereavement champion) and Ashley Albright-Pedigo, RN (ED bereavement champion), it became clear that while OB had strong postpartum loss resources, the ED needed additional tools tailored to grieving mothers.

That realization sparked change.

Through cross-department collaboration, postpartum and grief resources were shared, expanded, and formally integrated into ED processes. A new approach was established: when neonatal loss occurs in the ED, OB and ED teams now partner to ensure families receive comprehensive emotional and physical postpartum support.

When Jennifer later sent the mother a condolence card explaining the new support plan, the mother reached out personally to share her appreciation - expressing comfort in knowing that her experience would help future families receive clearer guidance and care.

The work didn’t stop there.

In November 2025, Caitlin Curtis, RN, became the new ED bereavement champion, further expanding resources and training. Drawing from partnerships with lactation services, child loss support organizations, and neighboring facilities, Caitlin helped create a bereavement resource folder for families experiencing loss. These folders include grief support information, lactation guidance after loss, counseling resources, chaplain contacts, funeral and autopsy information, journaling tools, and a small memorial item — offering continued support long after families leave the hospital.

As Caitlin shared: “These people are not just patients but real people who we care for, and that is the heart of nursing.”

Looking ahead, ED nurses and chaplains will receive training in February 2026 on how to compassionately offer these resources and support families during some of their most vulnerable moments.

This work is a powerful example of what it means to live out our ‘Love Me’ service standard - listening with empathy, responding with intention, and transforming even the hardest moments into opportunities to better serve those who trust us with their care.