Bereaved Mother's Day event first of its kind in Fox Chapel

Marcy Henry of East Palestine, Ohio, experienced firsthand the heartbreak and grief that accompanies the loss of a child.

Henry lost her daughter, Madeline, at 40 weeks and five days gestation on Oct. 26.

“Losing my daughter has absolutely destroyed me,” Henry said. “But I know that she would want me to do good things, and I want to share my daughter with the world and continue to honor her and all the babies gone too soon.”

Henry is dedicated to channeling her grief into positive planning for other bereaved mothers.

An inaugural Bereaved Mother’s Day Luncheon is scheduled for May 13 at the Cooper-Siegel Community Library in Fox Chapel.

Courtesy of Marcy Henry

Dustin and Marcy Henry hold a photo of their late daughter, Madeline Claire Henry.

The goal of the luncheon is to give bereaved mothers a chance to meet others in similar situations and remember their babies.

The luncheon is sponsored by Pittsburgh Bereavement Doulas, a free doula service founded by Heather Bradley of O’Hara in 2018.

Henry and Bradley are co- organizing the event.

“Marcy comes to our support groups, and we are sponsoring the event since we work with families that have lost a pregnancy or a newborn,” said Bradley, who serves as executive director of the nonprofit. “Our organization provides a free doula support when they are having a stillbirth, miscarriage or termination.

“The luncheon is for any mother who has experienced pregnancy loss or who has lost a child,” Bradley added.

To register for the luncheon, click here or call the library at 412-828-9520.

Organizers expect many of the mothers to bring a support person with them to the luncheon.

Each mother will have the opportunity to create a wooden floral bouquet.

Bradley hopes the event will help to encourage those mothers who are actively mourning the death of their baby.

“It’s a traumatic grief, this type of pain — there’s comfort in supporting each other. People can be really closed off about this. It can make parents feel isolated.

“This is a safe space for the women on Mother’s Day because it can be a lonely time. They will always be parenting their child, from afar and in a different way,” Bradley said.

Henry said the event will help to ensure that the mothers know they are forever a mother.

“I expect it to be a very emotional day but hope that it is also a very healing day, too,” she said.