After the loss of a child, couple gives gift to help other grieving parents

After Melissa and Matt Shore lost a child to stillbirth in July 2018, they chose to honor their son’s memory by helping others grieving infant loss. The Shores recently gave vouchers for Molly Bears to Winona Health’s Family Birth Center. They learned about Molly Bears after losing their son, Kipton Jiggs. According to the Molly Bears website: Molly Bears exists to create a positive and comforting impact for families enduring any form of infant loss (www.mollybears.org). The bears are personalized for each family to the weight of the baby and other personalization. Melissa talked of leaving the hospital with empty arms and noted that this bear gives parents and families something to fill those empty arms. The Shores have two other children and are expecting another baby in December. To honor the son that they lost, Kipton Bear is included in family photos and fills a void where Kipton should be. Melissa said that Kipton Bear gets lots of cuddles and has been so good for the family. She said that she got the bear to help with her own grief, but it soon became a comfort to the couple’s other children as well. The Shore’s gift of express vouchers for Molly Bears will reduce the wait time for families to receive their bear. The Family Birth Center will give the vouchers to families with infant loss. Families who choose to can then order their own personalized Molly Bear when they’re ready. More information about Molly Bears is available at www.mollybears.org. More information about Winona Health, the Winona Health Foundation and the Family Birth Center is available at www.winonahealth.org.