A legacy of caring

Peterson donates care boxes to help families with pregnancy loss

MARSHALL -- After her son Elijah was stillborn, Amy Peterson said connecting with other bereaved parents was one of the things that helped on her road to healing. Over the past 10 years, Peterson has also worked on projects to both support other families and honor Elijah's memory.

"I just kept feeling I needed to change my grief and love for him into something positive," Peterson said.

Earlier this summer, Peterson and her family presented Avera Marshall Medical Center with a gift of care boxes, filled with items to comfort families grieving the loss of a baby.

"The gift that Amy has provided is just phenomenal," said Kim Peterson, inpatient services director at Avera Marshall. When families experience a stillbirth or the loss of a pregnancy, it can make a big difference to know that other people care, and understand what they're going through, she said.

Amy Peterson said she marks Elijah's birthday each year by doing something to help other families who have lost a baby. Elijah would have turned 10 on June 22.

The care boxes are one of a few different projects Peterson has worked on over the past 10 years. She said they were inspired by a similar care package she received when Elijah was stillborn.

"This is my fourth round of (care) boxes. I've done 40 of them now," she said. This June, she donated boxes to Avera Marshall and Avera McKennan in Sioux Falls.

Peterson said the boxes include both items to help grieving families remember their baby, and informational resources.

"I always include a book geared toward pregnancy and infant loss," she said. Peterson said the book "Saying Goodbye" by Zoe Clark-Coates was one she found helpful. The author not only shares her own experiences with infant loss, but also includes exercises to help with grief and healing. "That part I felt was really nice.”

The boxes also include personal care items, a baby blanket and hat, and keepsakes like a plaque for parents to record details about their baby. Peterson also put in a variety of informational materials from the Star Legacy Foundation, which offers education and support resources for pregnancy loss. The Star Legacy Foundation materials cover topics like self-care, funeral planning and even resources for fathers who are grieving.

Amy, her husband Brad Peterson and their son Theodore live in St. Cloud, but they have ties to southwest Minnesota. Amy grew up in northwest Iowa, but in 2009, her parents moved to Cottonwood. In 2011, Amy's mother spent the final months of her life at Morningside Heights Care Center in Marshall.

Peterson said her connections to the Marshall and Cottonwood areas were part of the reason she chose to give care boxes to Avera Marshall this year.

Helping other families was something that Peterson said was meaningful to her as she went through her own healing process.

"I wanted his life to have meaning after he was gone," she said.

Peterson said she hopes to break down the stigma around pregnancy loss, and to raise awareness of pregnancy complications.

"It's often not talked about enough," she said. Being able to talk about it, and educating health care workers about how to respond to pregnancy loss, can make a positive change for families.