Testimonials from the 2005 conference

Letter from a professional attendee/ labor and delivery nurse:

Hello from Perrysburg, Ohio! I feel so blessed to have been a participant at the GRACE Conference this year. My friends and co-workers share
my feelings. We brought a lot of new ideas and most helpful information home with us. We met very special families whose lives touched our
hearts in so many ways on so many different levels. One of my friends, who was also at the conference, is not only a neonatal nurse but also a
mom who has experienced the loss of a newborn child. Myself and another person are labor and delivery nurses and our other friend is an
ultrasound tech. for a group of maternal-fetal medicine specialists. We were excited to travel together and bring our thoughts together after the
conference.
The first session we attended was with Dr. Jason Collins. He made such a big impression on us that we have asked our administration to look
into having him speak, about his umbilical cord studies, at a future perinatal conference. We all hope this will happen as his studies are so very
valuable.
At Toledo Hospital, where we all work, there is so much we do for parents that experience loss. Being on the hospital perspective we do not
often see our families after they leave the hospital. At the conference it was good to listen to parents share their stories and learn about what
touched their hearts. We listened, we cried and we will remember.... so that we can help other families we encounter in the future.

God Bless you all and best wishes - Beth Grudzinski


 

Letter from a bereaved father who attended as a speaker and exhibitor:

While I attended the 2005 GRACE Conference & Retreat as both an exhibitor and speaker on the topic of men's grief, I would not have been working in this field had it not been for my daughter's stillbirth over 20 years ago. After Kathleen died I had a need to try and make something positive result from her short life. It was that desire that lead me to do volunteer work, along with other bereaved parents, to raise awareness about a parent's, and more specifically a father's, needs following such a tragedy. Because I owned a small publishing company I was able to help develop a line of support products for bereaved families and their caregivers that are now sold throughout the world.
I have attended many bereavement conferences and meetings all over the country in the last two decades, but I can honestly say that the GRACE Conference was one of the most impressive. The two day meeting was professional and yet warm and welcoming at the same time— not always an easy task when trying to serve both professional caregivers and grieving parents. It was heartening to see these different groups of people working together to make the weekend a success. Sadly, that is not the case among some of the so-called national leadership organizations who work in this arena.
In my estimation, the highlight of the weekend was the Saturday night dinner and program. The speaker, video presentation, play, and candle
lighting ceremony was a beautiful blend of both sadness and hope that inspired all who attended. I went to the GRACE Conference & Retreat wearing my professional hat, but left it with a deeper awareness of what it's really all about -- remembering who and what it is that brought me to this point in my life.

Tim Nelson - deRuyter Nelson / A Place To Remember


 

Letter from an attendee whose first baby was stillborn:

I was blessed to meet Candy McVicar after my daughter, Emerson Jade Jensen, was born still on 1/24/05 due to a cord accident, and she told me about the GRACE Conference and Retreat. After hearing that Dr. Jason Collins was going to be a speaker I knew that I had to make sure that my husband Kyle and my mother (Lori Harmsen) attended as well. I wanted them to hear first hand about all of the research that Dr. Collins has done on stillbirths caused by UCA’s and the amazing care that he gives mothers whose babies are at risk for UCA’s. This was my one goal for the conference, but little did I realize how God would work through this conference in my relationship with my mother. From the time that Emerson was born up until the time of the conference I had felt disconnected from my mother. I felt that she was having a hard time figuring out what to say to me and how to comfort me. This ended up hurting me, because more than anything I wanted my mother to be there for me. At the conference she attended the class “Support for Parents at the Time of Loss and with Follow Up” taught by Candy McVicar and Deborah Simmons. After the class she came out with tears in her eyes and said “Would you please forgive me. I have been saying all of the wrong things.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I felt like I had my mom back! Since the conference she has helped me to share with my family how important it is to commemorate Emerson’s life and to keep her memory alive. There were so many wonderful things that I experienced at the conference, but I will never forget the moment when my mother became my mother again.

Cameron Jensen - Mommy to Emerson Jade Jensen, stillborn 1/24/05



 

Letter from a bereaved Grandmother who attended with her daughter and son-in-law:

Looking forward to seeing our new granddaughter had become a consuming thrilling thought. But when little Emerson Jade was stillborn, our hearts sunk, not only for us, but for her parents, our dear daughter and son-in-law and the circle of family around us. Just when I thought I couldn't grieve anymore, our daughter kindly invited me to fly to MN for the GRACE Conference & Retreat. I expected my mind to be filled with new ways to support our daughter and husband. To my utter amazement, I found out that I hadn't even begun to heal from the pain, so how could I possibly help them? The conference provided magnificent sessions to help educate grieving parents and families. What a blessing to meet such dedicated presenters, authors, and participants. I will never forget the capable professionals I met; I owe a great debt of gratitude to Candy and Steve McVicar for their great sensitivity to all issues surrounding tragic losses. Their courage, vision, and commitment to helping others who've lost children is a most precious gift to the community.

Lori Harmsen - Grandmother to Emerson Jade, stillborn 1/24/05