Owensboro Health Regional Hospital now has Blakely’s Breath of Life boxes, which are bereavement boxes for families experiencing loss. The program’s goal is to raise awareness of miscarriages, stillbirths, and infant loss, and to be a resource to parents in need. It also relies heavily on donations from the community.
Blakely’s Breath of Life was started by NICU nurse Tara Barnes after she and her husband lost their daughter Blakely at 36 weeks gestation in 2020. A year later, Barnes lost another baby. The couple also have a 4-year-old son and 5-month-old daughter.
Earlier this year, Barnes posted on the organization’s Facebook page about why she started the program, saying she felt led to help other families navigating the loss of their babies.
“My husband and I started this organization and through generous donations from the community we are able to make bereavement boxes for families experiencing miscarriage and stillbirth. We donate these bereavement boxes to hospitals so that resources are available when these losses occur,” she wrote. “When I reflect back to my time in the hospital I am reminded of how important these keepsake items are for families. When it’s all said and done, the memories and keepsakes are all that families have left of their baby. It is important for me to ensure these families are cared for and know they aren’t alone. Through this organization we are able to bring comfort to these families and keep the memory of our daughters alive.”
According to that post, the boxes include: a crochet baby blanket/hat, crochet prayer cloth, memory candle, hand and foot casting kit, mommy and me bracelets, a keychain, a book, a remembrance flower seed card, a footprint necklace, brochures, a letter to the family etc.
Barnes’ book The Truth I’m Standing On — centered around her story of infertility, miscarriage, and stillbirth — has also been added to the bereavement boxes.
Two different types of boxes are available, one for loss under 20 weeks and one for loss over 20 weeks. Owensboro Health Regional Hospital received eight of each type of box.
“Anything we can do to make our patients’ experience when they’re going through loss easier, we definitely want to do that,” said Robin Locher, manager of labor and delivery OHRH. “It’s something that you know you hope you never have to go through, but if you do these mementos are just amazing. They’re so special. You can tell she’s really put her heart and soul into the process.”
Locher noted that OHRH has a fetal bereavement program of their own called Footprints on My Heart, which provides bereavement gowns, professional photographs of babies, copies of footprints, and other mementos.
Anyone who would like to donate to Blakely’s Breath of Life can visit the organization’s Facebook page or email [email protected].
