“I was in Build-a-Bear. I was coming up on what would have been my due date and I was looking for an outfit for my son. A woman overheard me tell the salesperson I’d had a miscarriage and said she’d been attending this group for women who’d gone through that. I was totally against it at first. I thought it would be sad hearing their stories. But then Jeanette would come out from the program and just check on me. Sometimes I didn’t even want to get out of bed, but I would get up, get myself together, and I didn’t really want to talk about it but when she came it made me open up instead of just holding it in.
When I had my miscarriage I feel like I lost everybody. I lost the support of my family, my friends, because they didn’t know what to say to me. With these other women who’d gone through that experience, we knew what not to say, what we didn’t want to hear, and there are things we wouldn’t tell anyone else. It makes it a lot easier once you get it out. I call and check on the other girls that’s been through the program with me and we have that bond now. We’ve come to rely on each other.
I feel like if I share my story somebody else might want to share theirs. It’s hard. I know for me I quit like every week, but you’ve got to just keep pushing. There’s somebody out there that knows what you’re going through; you’ve just got to keep pushing and don’t be afraid to reach out.”
— Christiana for #EveryStoryCounts. (Photo by New Lens Productions).
The Healing Ourselves through Peer Empowerment (HOPE) Project empowers and supports women who have experienced the death of an infant or the loss of a baby. HOPE is a project of Roberta’s House – a non-profit community organization that works to restore children and families to a place of wholeness after the loss of a loved one. Find out more about programs and resources that address grief and loss in Baltimore City.
The #EveryStoryCounts Campaign
You don’t have to be a climate scientist or city planner to create sustainability + resilience. Everyone has a story to tell about making Baltimore a stronger, fairer and safer place for all of us.
Be a part of our #EveryStoryCounts Campaign by sharing yours on social media using the hashtag #EveryStoryCounts, or by sharing your words and pictures with us at sustainability@baltimorecity.gov.