Bereavement / Loss
In the event of a pregnancy loss or loss of a baby, our team of physicians, nurses and social workers connect families to support and resources that encourage healthy grieving. During their stays, we encourage families to spend as much time as they want with their babies. Our staff preserves memories by making hand and foot molds and providing angel gowns and memory boxes courtesy of the Emma and Evan Foundation. We treat each family’s unique experience with the utmost respect and dignity through this challenging process.
We provide spiritual care and emotional support for patients, families and staff, regardless of religion or cultural tradition. Our volunteer chaplains are an integral part of the healthcare team, visiting patients upon admission and remaining available to them and their families throughout their stays. They are also specially trained to offer trauma support, palliative care, end-of-life care, bereavement support and other services.
Remembrance Day
Every October CMC holds a Remembrance Day event for parents and families who have experienced the loss of a child during pregnancy or after birth. It is an evening of remembering, sharing and celebrating with stories, music and a candle lighting ceremony. Families can also share photos and messages on a beautiful board as well as participate in a craft activity to create a token of remembrance to take home.
Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Group
Gone Too Soon meetings are a sacred space created for those who have experienced the loss of a child in order to share, if they so choose (there is never an obligation to share), their grief journey and find a support network of others who have experienced child loss. Peer led monthly support meetings are held in downtown Missoula.