CRESTON, Ohio — The loss of a pregnancy affects thousands of families each year, but not many of them talk about it openly.
As part of her ongoing series, Delivering Better Results, News 5 Anchor Courtney Gousman took a look at the special day set aside each year for those who have grieved such a loss, whether through stillbirth, miscarriage, or even SIDS. It's also a day for those who may not be able to experience motherhood due to infertility or other health reasons.
Bereaved Mother's Day is recognized internationally, generally on the first Sunday in May, which is usually a week before the traditional Mother's Day holiday.
Sara Ringle of Creston created a Bereaved Mother's Day brunch four years ago in Wooster to honor these women. Ringle is the founder of Forget-Me-Not-Baskets, and the annual Bereaved Mother's Day Brunch in Wooster.
It's happening this Sunday, May 7, at 11:00 a.m., and Sara tells Courtney it's deeply personal.
"The beautiful thing about Bereaved Mother's Day is it gives mom that time and that space to sit with that grief and that child because Mother's Day is just so hard for those moms that have experienced any kind of loss. We put their child's name on everything. We put their child's name on the screen; we do a tribute video. We try to give them as many tangible remembrance gifts and shower them with a lot of love that day," Ringle said.
Sara tells Courtney the brunch is sold-out for this year.
However, Courtney discovered that there are other things Sara does to help women in this area. As the founder of Forget-Me-Not-Baskets, she makes baskets curated for women grieving child loss, and they include many comfort and sentimental items.
Sara and her team have created more than 9,000 baskets since 2007. The baskets can be found in 65 locations, including hospitals and Ob/GYN offices in several states. They cost $25-130.
CLICK HERE for more information on Forget-Me-Not Baskets or the annual Bereaved Mother's Day Brunch.
Watch live and local news any time:
Download the News 5 Cleveland app now for more stories from us, plus alerts on major news, the latest weather forecast, traffic information and much more. Download now on your Apple device here, and your Android device here.
You can also catch News 5 Cleveland on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, YouTube TV, DIRECTV NOW, Hulu Live and more. We're also on Amazon Alexa devices. Learn more about our streaming options here.
