VOLUNTEERS ARE THE HEART OF PALS
Pregnancy After Loss Support depends on the many generous volunteers who give of their time to write, moderate, lead in their local communities, and develop programs for our courageous mamas.
To find out more about how you can volunteer, visit Get Involved.
Meet our Volunteers
STAFF
Lindsey Henke is the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support, writer, clinical social worker, wife, and most importantly a mother to two beautiful daughters and one sweet-cheeked baby boy. Tragically, her oldest daughter, Nora was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December of 2012. Since then, she has turned to writing on her blog, Still Breathing. Lindsey’s second daughter, Zoe, was born healthy and alive in March of 2014. Her writing about life after loss has been featured on Still Standing Magazine, Listen to Your Mother, Scary Mommy, Healthline, Postpartum Progress, and The New York Times.
Valerie Meek is the Operations Director for Pregnancy After Loss Support. She lives in a Boston suburb with her husband, daughter, and Sato puppy, Didi Darling. She became a mama when her son Patrick was born still at 20 weeks in April of 2014. She has been honored to share her TTC and pregnancy after loss journey at PALS. She gave birth to her baby born after loss, her daughter, “Stitch,” born in February 2016. Valerie writes about her family life and crafty endeavors (quilting, embroidery, crochet, knitting, cooking, canning, and scrapbooking) at her blog Meek Manor.
Heather Ralston is a the Volunteer Coordinator for Pregnancy After Loss Support, as well as a PALS Ambassador and a Meet-Up Leader in Baltimore, MD, where she lives with her husband and three living children. During her second pregnancy, a severe case of hydrops fetalis was discovered at her 20-week anatomy scan. After weeks of testing and consultations, Heather and her husband made the the heartbreaking decision to end their son Aiden’s pregnancy. Just ten weeks later, Heather became pregnant again and delivered a healthy baby girl in March 2018. Heather knows pregnancy after loss is a hard journey to navigate without support. She’s thankful for PALS online support and loves being a part of the PALS community.
Shawnté LaTour-Serviss is the Meet-Up Program Coordinator for Pregnancy After Loss Support and lives in Albany NY with her husband and two children. Shawnte and her husband lost a baby to miscarriage 2016. Their pregnancy after loss journey was challenging, resulting in a premature birth at 33 weeks 2 days. Their rainbow, Brynlee, had a 5-week NICU stay but is now healthy and thriving! This experience has made Shawnte so very grateful for her many blessings. She became certified as a birth and bereavement doula and has made it a personal goal to help other women going through pregnancy after loss, and let them know that they are not alone.
Stephanie Gauthier is an Events Coordinator for Pregnancy After Loss Support, and lives in a Boston suburb with her husband and two amazing living children. Stephanie and her husband lost a baby in an early miscarriage in 2015. They got pregnant again right away, but in April 2016, devastatingly found out at their anatomy scan that their sweet baby Avery, no longer had a heartbeat and had passed away about a week earlier. Stephanie went on to have 2 healthy pregnancies and 2 healthy children in 2017 and 2019. She got through those pregnancies with the support of fellow loss mamas, and loves being part of the PALS community.
Jenny Albers lives in South Dakota where she mothers her two earth babies. She is also mom to two heaven babies; one who was lost due to an ectopic pregnancy and one who was lost due to Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM). Jenny’s faith is woven into her story of loss and motherhood, and you can find her writing about the beauty and burden in it all at A Beautifully Burdened Life. She invites you to join her on Facebook and Instagram.
Megan Taylor lives in Cambridge, Ontario Canada. She lost her first baby in November of 2007. Three months later, Megan got pregnant with her rainbow baby, Alexis. Megan is currently expecting her son Elijah, who is due August 2019. Megan is a certified birth and bereavement doula and Faculty Aide with Stillbirthday. Megan’s mission in life now is to help as many women and families as she can through these difficult life journeys and raise as much awareness as she can so no one has to ever feel alone. Megan is always happy to share her story and inspire others to embrace their stories as well.
SUPPORT GROUP MODERATORS
Shannon Bensalah lives in Upstate NY with her husband and two wonderful cats, Roxy and Salem. She is mom to Cameron who lived 98 days in the NICU before passing away in January 2012. From there, she experienced secondary infertility that resulted in doing IVF. In April 2018, she experienced a first trimester loss. She is currently pregnant with her rainbow baby with an estimated arrival date of September 2019.
Ashley Boren is a mom of six earth side and five in heaven. Of that, three are babies after the loss. Ashley took extensive training to be a bereavement doula and chaplain. She is passionate to help those in need, most specifically ones going through loss. Ashley has been through pregnancy after loss, so she knows the need to have a healthy support system. She knows the need to provide a safe healthy environment for pregnancy after loss and is there to give extra support to those who experience another loss. Ashley supports the mamas in our community in any way they may need.
LaToya Cooper resides in Birmingham, Alabama where she works full-time as a domestic violence advocate and outreach coordinator. After being told she would never be able to conceive without the help of IVF, she became pregnant with her daughter Hope, no IVF or medication, just faith that all things are possible. Five months into her pregnancy, her water broke and two days later, Hope was born and passed within an hour of being born. Since losing Hope, LaToya advocates about Pregnancy Loss and Infertility. LaToya and her husband are currently trying to conceive their rainbow baby, and they cannot wait for the day he or she arrives.
Sarah Pruitt Cox lives near Dallas, Texas. She works as an accountant and tax preparer. She is mom to a 4 year old and three angels. Sarah had trouble getting pregnant, but gave birth to a healthy boy in 2014, followed by a chemical pregnancy (2016) and a miscarriage (2017). Sarah became pregnant with her daughter, Jasmine Grace, in August 2017. At the 13-week ultrasound they discovered Jasmine had CDH and later found she had mosaic trisomy 15. Her heart stopped beating around 32 weeks. Sarah’s committed to making sure loss mamas never feel alone. Sarah writes about her loss at Journey for Jasmine.
Victoria Denney lives in Kansas City and is a wife to Patrick and mom of two children. Joshua was born at 29 weeks and they lost 36 hours later. Fourteen months later they welcomed their rainbow daughter, Madeline. Madeline defines a rainbow in every sense of the word, bringing light and joy into the lives of everyone she meets. Victoria works for her local school district and spends her free time shuttling her daughter to dance classes, sports practices, and everywhere in between. Victoria continues to speak out about preeclampsia and loss, writing and speaking about Joshua often. Victoria blogs about raising a rainbow, anxiety, and life at Life with Madeline.
India Sky Gregware is a labor doula, breastfeeding specialist, and military wife. She is a mother to a surviving triplet girl, 6 angels, and her fresh rainbow son. During her pregnancy with her son, she stumbled upon PALS and heavily leaned on the members while she navigated the complex feelings of being pregnant after (many) losses. She is so passionate about the PALS community and its members.
Rachel Hartsfield lives in Denver, Colorado with her husband and daughter. She suffered 3 miscarriages over 2 years and went through testing for infertility before getting pregnant with her rainbow baby, Elizabeth, who was born October 2016. She struggled with all of the miscarriages and hopes to help those who need it. She works at the state mental hospital in Colorado doing training. In her spare time she works out, plays with her daughter, cooks, and enjoys a warm cup of coffee.
Jillian McGough lives in Salt Lake City, Utah, with her husband and oldest child; a little girl, Audrey. In February 2017, their second child, George, passed shortly after birth. He lived for 16 hours and those 16 hours changed her world. Since losing George, she has been journaling through her grief journey on her blog, Jillian McGaugh and has found so much comfort in the responses of her community to her memories, hard days, joys, and sorrows. Shortly after her loss, Jillian found the PALS online support groups and is excited to now be a part of the team.
BUMP DAY BLOGGERS
Mary Kovacs is a mother of two and currently pregnant with her third. Her first child Grayson was stillborn at 39 weeks and 3 days on December 29, 2016. Her Daughter Addison is her rainbow baby and she is now 2 years old. Inspired by the Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS) photos received of her son Grayson, Mary learned photography and opened her own photography business/studio, Lemon Lens Photography, and also volunteers for NILMDTS as a photographer. Mary also has written a popular loss book for children, You are my Rainbow, and is a newly licensed real estate agent.
Libby Valluzzi spends most of her time homesteading and growing, harvesting, and processing vegetables and animals and wild-harvested things and turning them into nourishment. She finds peace in going on long-distance walks, singing, handcrafting, and playing her violin and guitar. She is also currently studying to become a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. In late November 2019, Libby’s first pregnancy ended in loss at 16 weeks. Four months later, testing revealed Libby had a type of congenital uterine anomaly called a Uterine Septum. In June 2020 she underwent surgery, where the septum was snipped and her uterus was deemed basically-normal.
Jasmine Simmons is currently pregnant with her rainbow baby after the loss of her sweet angel baby girl due to miscarriage in 2020. She has been documenting her IVF, infertility, and miscarriage journey on her Instagram page. Jasmine is hoping that by sharing her journey she can also help women of color to amplify their voices and show how representation matters. When Jasmine is not spreading awareness on infertility and miscarriage, she is a Licensed Mental Health therapist who is very passionate about the field she is in with helping her clients reach their full potential despite the struggles. Jasmine loves to cook and explore the world and different cultures by traveling. She loves nature and loves to go on walks and soak in the moment of the beauty the earth has to offer.
Emma DeVanzo is currently pregnant with her third child after two losses last year. Her first child Austin was stillborn at 39 weeks and 5 days on April 10, 2020. Despite many tests, the exact cause of his death was never determined. She also experienced a chemical pregnancy in September 2020. Emma found writing letters to Austin extremely therapeutic and continues to do so as she navigates her grief and child loss in a pandemic. She hopes to bring comfort and strength to others on their pregnancy after loss journey through her bump day blog. Emma enjoys traveling the world with her husband and hopes to return to doing so in the near future with an additional traveling companion. Emma is an accounts receivable manager and resides in the Philadelphia area.
Brittany Jones is a proud Author and Teacher who is known for making a memorable impact; leading a purpose-driven life. Brittany spent her childhood engaged in the performing arts and double-majored in music performance and journalism at William Paterson University. After marrying her husband, Brandon, she learned that family planning and fertility would be an uphill battle; a discovery after the loss of her two babies in 2020 due to miscarriage. As part of her journey to healing and recovery, she advocates for angel moms, being a voice that shines light on those like herself whom have suffered and yet, still maintain the hope of a successful pregnancy and birth; a purpose greater than she’d ever anticipated.
Elizabeth Michalski is a 29-year-old mama of three, one angel, one rainbow and one pot of gold on the way. Her first child, Theodore “Teddy” Russell Michalski was stillborn on October 6th, 2018 at 22 weeks, after experiencing PPROM at 21.5 weeks, with no known cause. Her rainbow baby, Nathan, was born the day before her state shut down in Ohio due to the pandemic, and she’s now expecting her 3rd child while navigating motherhood and grief during her second high-risk pregnancy. Elizabeth knows how important the community of PALS mama’s and families is and hopes her journey can reach even one mama’s heart, and bring them comfort knowing they aren’t alone.
Janel Morphy is a self-employed music therapist and music teacher from Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. Janel graduated from Wilfrid Laurier University in 2016 and married her husband in the summer of 2019. Janel and her husband enjoyed traveling, camping, and building their businesses in their first few years of marriage. In March 2021 Janel experienced a missed miscarriage with her first pregnancy. After taking time to heal and process their loss, Janel found out she was pregnant again in late September 2021. Janel is passionate about breaking down the stigma and shame surrounding miscarriage and pregnancy loss. She hopes that sharing her story makes others feel some comfort and support in their journey.
Shannyn Hanson and her husband, Mitchell, live in Wichita, Kansas with their two crazy pups, Lou and Clark. They have one daughter, Sophie, who they lost last September at 22 weeks due to Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM). Shannyn is now pregnant with their rainbow and has found so much peace telling Sophie’s story. She is honored to share about pregnancy after loss with this powerful and strong community of women and families. You can follow Shannyn on Instagram.
Alli Baker is a queer educator and IVF loss mom living in Southern California with her wife and two cats. Alli is pregnant with a baby boy after her prior chemical pregnancy and her wife’s miscarriage. Community support has been vital to her healing. She writes about IVF, PAL, trauma, and resilience, and she teaches English, sociology, and gender studies. In her free time, she takes her nieces to Target, crafts, and reads scary stories. Follow her on Instagram @mrs_alli_baker.
MAGAZINE CONTRIBUTORS
Jenny Albers lives in South Dakota where she mothers her two earth babies. She is also mom to two heaven babies; one who was lost due to an ectopic pregnancy and one who was lost due to Preterm Premature Rupture of Membranes (PPROM). Jenny’s faith is woven into her story of loss and motherhood, and you can find her writing about the beauty and burden in it all at A Beautifully Burdened Life. She invites you to join her on Facebook and Instagram.
Natasha Carlow resides in Trinidad and Tobago with her husband and two living children. She and her husband are parents to five children, three of whom were lost to previously undiagnosed Lupus Anticoagulant Antiphosphate Lipid Syndrome. Writing from a position of faith, Natasha explores issues of loss, grief, pregnancy after loss, motherhood and parenting her rainbow babies. She believes that women who experience loss need to hear stories from other women who have walked the same path and hopes to help make the experience less isolating for other moms. She is the Author of Happy Tears and Rainbow Babies.
Emily P.G. Erickson is a writer who holds a master’s degree in psychology. Her helpful, science-backed writing about mental health, mindfulness, and motherhood has appeared in The New York Times, Romper, Elemental, and elsewhere. Emily’s journey to motherhood has included ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, and secondary infertility. She lives with her husband and two sons in Minnesota, where they all eagerly await the summer 2021 arrival of her third baby. You can connect with Emily on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, all at @EmilyPGErickson, and on her website at emilypgerickson.com.
Franky Hunter is a stay-at-home mom, a self-taught artist/writer, and aspiring children’s book author/illustrator. In 2016, Franky lost her first-born son, Rosario, at the start of the third trimester. Exactly 13 months later, she welcomed her daughter Madeline Rose when she was just 35 weeks. Since then, Franky has become charmingly outspoken with her platform Maddie&Rossi on her experiences with baby loss, pregnancy complications, mental illness, and motherhood. She hopes to use her story to educate and inspire those struggling or those supporting someone who is. Franky is expecting her third child in August 2020, her second high-risk pregnancy.
Rachel Lewis is a foster, adoptive and birth mom. After a 5-year battle with secondary infertility and recurrent pregnancy loss, she now has three children in her arms, five children in heaven and a foster son in her heart. She now considers her family complete after the adoption of her second daughter and the birth of her rainbow baby. Rachel understands what it is like when building your family is just a little complicated, and is passionate about helping women feel heard and understood in their struggles. She writes at The Lewis Note and Still Standing Magazine.
Rebecca Markert lives in Verona, Wisconsin, with her husband and their four living children. Rebecca’s first child, Lily, was stillborn on Mother’s Day 2010 after she went into preterm labor at 20 weeks. During her second pregnancy after loss, Rebecca realized how anxious and fearful she still was and sought out other women expecting again after loss. She, along with four other courageous mamas, formed the Rainbow Pregnancies of Madison group, which supports women pregnant after loss. Rebecca is still the facilitator of that group, which meets monthly and has an active, private Facebook page.
Amanda Ross-White’s first pregnancy ended in the stillbirth of her twins, Nathaniel and Samuel, in 2007. Since then, she has had two miscarriages, and two successful pregnancies, her daughter born safe in 2009 and her son in 2012. She advocates for maternity and child health as a patient advisor to Kingston Health Sciences Centre. She is also the author of Joy at the End of the Rainbow: A Guide to Pregnancy After a Loss, which came second place in the American Journal of Nursing’s Book of the Year awards for consumer health books.
Kasey Schultz-Saindon is a psychologist who lives in the suburbs of Chicago, IL. She and her husband, Eric, lost their first two babies, Lentil and Danny, in 2016 and 2017, both at 20 weeks gestation. With the help of incredible medical providers, the genetic mutation that affected their baby boys was identified. Kasey and Eric utilized IVF with genetic diagnosis in the hopes of finally bringing home a baby. They welcomed their daughter, their first living child, in February 2019. Kasey is grateful to share her experiences with a community that has been such an incredible support to her.
Elizabeth Thoma lives in California with her husband, Chris, and two living children, Everett and Imogen. She found out she was expecting her first child Mother’s Day weekend, 2014. At the anatomy scan, they found out their son had a minor abdominal wall defect. Oberon was born six weeks early and had surgery the same day. The surgery went well, but Obie had trouble breathing. One week later, the doctors found that Obie’s brain didn’t develop correctly. After redirecting to comfort care, they took Obie home. Obie passed away at home in his daddy’s arms at 33 days old. Elizabeth and Chris blog at about their family at Our Little Beastie.
Michelle Valiukenas is the proud mom of her angel Sweet Pea, who she lost due to miscarriage, her angel daughter Colette Louise, and her only living child, her rainbow baby, Elliott Miguel. Michelle is the executive director of The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation, which financially assists families dealing with high-risk and complicated pregnancies, NICU stays, and loss. Michelle also participates and advocates on issues of maternal health, maternal mortality, infant health and safety, and pregnancy complications. Michelle lives in Glenview, Illinois with her son Elliott, husband Mark, and dog Nemo.
MEET-UP LEADERS
Danyelle Andrews is a PALS Meet-Up Leader and Ambassador in the Chicago area and a mother to five children–she carries three in her heart and two in her arms. Rylie and Avary, the twin girls who first made her a mom, were born and died the same day from preterm labor. In 2016 her first rainbow, Chloe, was born. In 2017, after an early miscarriage of ‘Baby A’, Baby B, Ronan, was born. Danyelle knows without a doubt that it was her loss mama friends who helped her navigate and survive her pregnancies after loss, and she is honored to be a part of PALS.
Megan Brandow-Faller is a Meet-up Leader in Manhattan, NY. She and her husband Adam were devastated to learn that their first child, Lotte was diagnosed with a congenital heart defect (HLHS) at her 18-week sonogram. Megan and Adam sought out the very best medical team to perform the surgeries required of HLHS patients. Lotte was born on May 4, 2015 but died in the hospital due to unforeseen complications. Millions followed her story on HONY. Megan and Adam were overjoyed to welcome Lotte’s siblings, Otto (6 September 2016) and Theo (27 December 2018). Megan is passionate about helping other mothers to heal, and thrive, through grief, loss and parenting.
Blair Carter is a PALS Meet-up Leader in Washington, DC, where she works as an elementary school teacher and lives with her husband and son. In 2016, her first child, Hazel, was delivered at 33 weeks gestation and lived only a short time due to complications from a complete placental abruption. In March 2017, Blair and Brandon found out that they were pregnant again, and Owen was born that October after a very anxiety-ridden pregnancy. As she journeyed through her grief and subsequent pregnancy, Blair found support in Pregnancy After Loss Support’s online groups and other PAL moms, and now she hopes to offer support and hope to other PAL moms.
Angela Feltner is a PALS Meet-Up leader in Kalamazoo, MI. She is a wife and mother to two children. Her daughter Evelyn Rae was born sleeping in 2017 due to preeclampsia. Ten weeks later, she became pregnant with her rainbow, Michael Bowie, who was born via emergency c-section at 33 week. Michael came home after a 28-day NICU stay, bringing much joy and comfort. Angela is working on her MA in Family and Consumer Sciences. She wants to use her education and experience to bring awareness to medical professionals treating the mom pregnant after loss. Angela wants other moms to know they are not alone in this journey.
Jessica Gamache is a PALS Meet-up Leader in Metro Vancouver, BC and lives in beautiful Maple Ridge, BC. She and her husband eagerly awaited the arrival of their first child in June 2016. However, at her 40 week check up, the baby had no heartbeat and Scarlett was stillborn the next day. When Jessica found out she was pregnant again, she was an emotional roller coaster of happiness and fear. Fortunately, Kayden was born alive and well in September 2017. Jessica hopes to raise awareness about pregnancy and infant loss, so that loss parents can get the support they need.
Suzanne Greenwalt is a PALS Meet-Up leader in Nashville, TN where she lives with her husband and five living children and works as a physical therapist and a university professor. After her first two children were born full term and healthy, Suzanne suffered two consecutive miscarriages. She went on to have two more full term and healthy children, followed by three consecutive pregnancy losses – a miscarriage, an ectopic pregnancy, and the stillbirth of her her daughter Samantha. While pregnant with her rainbow baby, Christopher (born healthy in February 2019), Suzanne sought additional support due to fear and anxiety of another loss. She discovered PALS, a comforting and safe environment to discuss her emotions with other PAL moms.
Carrie Jahns is a PALS Meet-up Leader and Ambassador in the Spokane, Washington area. After years of struggling to get pregnant, she and her husband were diagnosed with unexplained infertility in 2015. Their daughter Nora was conceived through IVF and born in 2016. Carrie suffered a miscarriage in 2017 and a failed embryo transfer in 2018. She is currently pregnant with her rainbow baby. Carrie discovered PALS online after struggling with fear and anxiety over her pregnancy after her miscarriage. The lack of resources in her community combined with a strong desire to help others not feel alone, she decided that her community was in need of PALS support.
Shawnté LaTour-Serviss is the Volunteer Coordinator and Meet-Up Leader and PALS Ambassador for Pregnancy After Loss Support and lives in Albany NY with her husband and two children. Shawnte and her husband lost a baby to miscarriage 2016. Their pregnancy after loss journey was challenging, resulting in a premature birth at 33 weeks 2 days. Their rainbow, Brynlee, had a 5-week NICU stay but is now healthy and thriving! This experience has made Shawnte so very grateful for her many blessings. She became certified as a birth and bereavement doula and has made it a personal goal to help other women going through pregnancy after loss, and let them know that they are not alone.
Malory Lea is the PALS Meet-up leader for Vermont. In 2016, at Malory’s 20-week ultrasound she discovered that baby boy “Bug” had a CDH, a rare birth defect of the diaphragm. Bug’s CDH was extremely severe and prevented his lungs from forming. At almost 21 weeks, Malory made the heartbreaking decision to end her first pregnancy. Still grieving the loss of Bug, Malory found out she was pregnant again and gave birth to her daughter Noa Rebecca a year later. Malory experienced the intense emotional struggle of dealing with a pregnancy soon after a loss and is dedicated to helping other women through this difficult journey to give more meaning to Bug’s too-short existence.
Kathryn Lederer is a PALS Leader in Salem, OR. Kathryn had her first pregnancy in 2012, which ended in miscarriage, followed by four additional miscarriages. Through her struggle with recurrent pregnancy loss, she found support from a local pregnancy and infant loss group. In 2013, she lost her sixth pregnancy during the 2nd trimester (Grayson). Devastated and uncertain, she tried again and went on to have Hudson in 2015. After having Hudson, she found she needed support in a new way and formed a parenting after loss support group. Kathryn is committed to helping moms in all stages of loss. Kathryn works as a nurse practitioner in college health.
Laura Rahman is a PALS Meet-up Leader in Washington, DC, where she lives with her family and works full-time as a fundraiser for a national nonprofit. Her angel Zain was diagnosed in utero with a CHD and had open heart surgery within hours of birth. He fought for 81 days and lost his battle on June 9, 2017. Laura’s rainbow, Laila Zain Rahman was born in 2018. Once pregnant again she struggled with the anxiety and the fear of losing another child. Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS) has been an incredible support to her during her pregnancy, and she is excited to help others through their PAL journey.
Heather Ralston is a PALS Ambassador and a Meet-Up Leader in Baltimore, MD, where she lives with her husband and two living children. During her second pregnancy, a severe case of hydrops fetalis was discovered at her 20-week anatomy scan. After weeks of testing and consultations, Heather and her husband made the the heartbreaking decision to end their son Aiden’s pregnancy. Just ten weeks later, Heather became pregnant again and delivered a healthy baby girl in March 2018. Heather knows pregnancy after loss is a hard journey to navigate without support. She’s thankful for PALS online support and loves being a part of the PALS community.
Megan Rigdon is a PALS Meet-Up leader in Provo, UT, and a mother of two. Megan found herself in total shock after her first miscarriage. She knew several women who had experienced a loss, but it was a wake up call when it happened to her. She wanted to connect with other women with who had similar experiences and discovered PALS. Megan decided to create a Meet-Up in her area so that local families could get the support they need. Megan works part time as a mental health therapist and is a full-time mom who loves to hike, swim, play soccer, bike, camp, and do anything outside in the sunshine with her family.
Ariane Sroubek is a PALS Meet-up leader in the Boston area where she lives with her husband and two living children. Ariane lost her second and third daughters (one at birth and the other at 10 weeks). She recently welcomed a healthy little boy after what felt like a very long and difficult pregnancy. In fact, it was her search for support during that pregnancy that led her to PALS. With a background in child psychology, Ariane is passionate about sharing her story and supporting other families through her blog, My Sustaining Grace, and her role with PALS.
Noelle Vandenberg is a Meet-Up leader in Green Bay, Wisconsin. A mother of five, her fifth child was the first to come home with her. She knows the road to becoming a parent can be a little different for all of us. She could only find one book when her journey first started. She hopes to spread awareness and believes women should come together. In her spare time she enjoys the outdoors, writing, art and spending time with her family, dogs and horses.
Melissa Wilson is a PALS Meet-Up leader in Calgary, Alberta. Like others in this tribe, she will forever live with a loss lens. Melissa is a wife, mama and pediatric occupational therapist. She and her husband are raising three girls and one rainbow little boy. They were devastated to loose their first boy at 25 weeks gestation. Pregnancy after loss was laced with grief, fear, anxiety and precious hope. Meet-Ups powerfully bring together mamas and Melissa’s hope is to connect you with buoys in the midst of a sea of those who simply can’t understand.
PALS AMBASSADORS
Danyelle Andrews is a PALS Meet-Up Leader and Ambassador in the Chicago area and a mother to five children–she carries three in her heart and two in her arms. Rylie and Avary, the twin girls who first made her a mom, were born and died the same day from preterm labor. In 2016 her first rainbow, Chloe, was born. In 2017, after an early miscarriage of ‘Baby A’, Baby B, Ronan, was born. Danyelle knows without a doubt that it was her loss mama friends who helped her navigate and survive her pregnancies after loss, and she is honored to be a part of PALS.
Sarah Pruitt Cox lives near Dallas, Texas. She works as an accountant and tax preparer. She is mom to a 4 year old and three angels. Sarah had trouble getting pregnant, but gave birth to a healthy boy in 2014, followed by a chemical pregnancy (2016) and a miscarriage (2017). Sarah became pregnant with her daughter, Jasmine Grace, in August 2017. At the 13-week ultrasound they discovered Jasmine had CDH and later found she had mosaic trisomy 15. Her heart stopped beating around 32 weeks. Sarah’s committed to making sure loss mamas never feel alone. Sarah writes about her loss at Life is Stupidly Unfair.
Angela Feltner is a wife and mother to two children. Her daughter Evelyn Rae was born sleeping in 2017 due to preeclampsia. Ten weeks later, she became pregnant with her rainbow, Michael Bowie, who was born via emergency c-section at 33 week. Michael came home after a 28-day NICU stay, bringing much joy and comfort. Angela is working on her MA in Family and Consumer Sciences. She wants to use her education and experience to bring awareness to medical professionals treating the mom pregnant after loss. Angela wants other moms to know they are not alone in this journey.
Wendy Harvey is the Ambassador Program Coordinator at Pregnancy After Loss Support. She resides in Northeast Wisconsin along with her husband and their two living children. In April 2014, she delivered her stillborn son, Blake. She and her husband longed for a family and knew they would always grieve Blake but when she and her husband decided to move forward, and got pregnant again, Wendy encountered a miscarriage. Wendy hopes that by volunteering with PALS she can bring more support and resources to her community and bring the perspective from a grieving momma who “gets it.”
Lindsey Henke is the founder and Executive Director of Pregnancy After Loss Support, writer, clinical social worker, wife, and most importantly a mother to two beautiful daughters and one sweet-cheeked baby boy. Tragically, her oldest daughter, Nora was stillborn after a healthy full-term pregnancy in December of 2012. Since then, she has turned to writing on her blog, Still Breathing. Lindsey’s second daughter, Zoe, was born healthy and alive in March of 2014. Her writing about life after loss has been featured on Still Standing Magazine, Listen to Your Mother, Scary Mommy, Healthline, Postpartum Progress, and The New York Times.
Emily Lacroix joined the Pregnancy After Loss Support (PALS) team as a Board member and the Treasurer in 2017. She holds a master’s degree in Nonprofit Administration and works as the Executive Development Director for a private school in the San Francisco bay area. Her first daughter, Mary Francis, was stillborn at 23 weeks, and her rainbow daughter, Louise was born the following year. Emily continues to experience the benefits of a strong support network like PALS and believes in choosing hope over fear. She is proud to serve as a volunteer with such a groundbreaking and uplifting organization.
Shawnté LaTour-Serviss is the Volunteer Coordinator and Meet-Up Leader and PALS Ambassador for Pregnancy After Loss Support and lives in Albany NY with her husband and two children. Shawnte and her husband lost a baby to miscarriage 2016. Their pregnancy after loss journey was challenging, resulting in a premature birth at 33 weeks 2 days. Their rainbow, Brynlee, had a 5-week NICU stay but is now healthy and thriving! This experience has made Shawnte so very grateful for her many blessings. She became certified as a birth and bereavement doula and has made it a personal goal to help other women going through pregnancy after loss, and let them know that they are not alone.
Kathryn Lederer is a PALS Leader in Salem, OR. Kathryn had her first pregnancy in 2012, which ended in miscarriage, followed by four additional miscarriages. Through her struggle with recurrent pregnancy loss, she found support from a local pregnancy and infant loss group. In 2013, she lost her sixth pregnancy during the 2nd trimester (Grayson). Devastated and uncertain, she tried again and went on to have Hudson in 2015. After having Hudson, she found she needed support in a new way and formed a parenting after loss support group. Kathryn is committed to helping moms in all stages of loss. Kathryn works as a nurse practitioner in college health.
Carrie Jahns is a PALS Meet-up Leader and Ambassador in the Spokane, Washington area. After years of struggling to get pregnant, she and her husband were diagnosed with unexplained infertility in 2015. Their daughter Nora was conceived through IVF and born in 2016. Carrie suffered a miscarriage in 2017 and a failed embryo transfer in 2018. She is currently pregnant with her rainbow baby. Carrie discovered PALS online after struggling with fear and anxiety over her pregnancy after her miscarriage. The lack of resources in her community combined with a strong desire to help others not feel alone, she decided that her community was in need of PALS support.
Valerie Meek is the Operations Director for Pregnancy After Loss Support. She lives in a Boston suburb with her husband, daughter, and Sato puppy, Didi Darling. She became a mama when her son Patrick was born still at 20 weeks in April of 2014. She has been honored to share her TTC and pregnancy after loss journey at PALS. She gave birth to her baby born after loss, her daughter, “Stitch,” born in February 2016. Valerie writes about her family life and crafty endeavors (quilting, embroidery, crochet, knitting, cooking, canning, and scrapbooking) at her blog Meek Manor.
Heather Ralston is a PALS Ambassador and a Meet-Up Leader in Baltimore, MD, where she lives with her husband and two living children. During her second pregnancy, a severe case of hydrops fetalis was discovered at her 20-week anatomy scan. After weeks of testing and consultations, Heather and her husband made the the heartbreaking decision to end their son Aiden’s pregnancy. Just ten weeks later, Heather became pregnant again and delivered a healthy baby girl in March 2018. Heather knows pregnancy after loss is a hard journey to navigate without support. She’s thankful for PALS online support and loves being a part of the PALS community.
Domenique Rice resides in Brooklyn, NY. She is a proud mother to Lena, TJ, and Tyson. On May 29, 2017 her son TJ died at 36.5 weeks gestation due to a cord accident. Five months after TJ’s death, she became pregnant with her youngest son Tyson. While experiencing PAL, Domenique found support through many of the PALS & Star Legacy services. She finds healing in her journey through running in nature, connecting with other families, as well as supporting the Star Legacy Metro New York Chapter in their efforts to create awareness and bereavement support around Stillbirth loss.
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