Finding light after infant loss: How two mothers turned heartbreak into healing, hope and a reason to give back
Kieran Powers and Suzanne Pede are connected by a shared experience. They both have navigated the grief of infant loss. They have also experienced the overwhelming fear and uncertainty that surfaced during their subsequent pregnancies – worrying that the unthinkable may happen again. But another thing that brings them together is their shared commitment to helping other parents who walk this difficult road feel less alone.
For both women, Sinai Health has played a vital role in their pathways to parenthood and is a place where they are directing their efforts to give back.
Specialized care through Sinai Health's high-risk pregnancy program
Suzanne was 26 years old when she lost her first child, Damiano, to stillbirth at 26 weeks. Because of this, her subsequent two pregnancies were considered high-risk, and she was referred to the Placenta Clinic in the Special Pregnancy Program at Mount Sinai Hospital. This program is run by a group of maternal-fetal medicine specialists, or high-risk obstetricians, who help manage the health of the parent and child during pregnancy and birth.
Under the care of this incredible team, including Drs. John Kingdom and Rory Windrim, Suzanne went on to give birth to two rainbow babies – a term that’s used for when a healthy baby is born after a family has experienced a previous loss. Suzanne’s son, Nicholas, was born in 2012 and spent time in the Newton Glassman Charitable Foundation Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at Mount Sinai Hospital. Her daughter, Kiara, was born in 2015.
Kieran also faced a difficult road to motherhood. After having cervical cancer in 2015, she and her husband decided to start growing their family when she was in remission. After her first pregnancy ended with emergency surgery at Mount Sinai due to a ruptured fallopian tube from an ectopic pregnancy, they were able to conceive again through in vitro fertilization (IVF). But due to Kieran’s history with cancer, she was also referred to Mount Sinai’s high-risk pregnancy program for careful monitoring. Unfortunately, after a series of unforeseen complications, her son, Beckett, was born prematurely at 23 weeks and five days. He passed away in her arms after a short, but fierce fight.
“We had to leave the Hospital without Beckett in our arms. It was not what we were expecting or hoping for. It was absolutely devastating – it changed the entire course of my life,” says Kieran. “I think that many people assume that if you have another baby you’ve moved on. But we never move on, we move forward. Having another baby doesn’t replace the baby you’ve lost.”
Almost a year later, her son Lincoln was also born prematurely – at just 22 weeks. He spent three months in Mount Sinai’s NICU before being transferred to a level 2 NICU at another hospital for two more months. Those early days were full of uncertainty, hope, complications and tiny miracles. Lincoln continued to need careful monitoring after he came home. But today, he is a thriving seven year old who loves bossing around his younger brother Remy, who was born through surrogacy.
Turning grief into purpose: Bringing hope and comfort to families when they need it most
Both Kieran and Suzanne know firsthand the stigma and isolation that can accompany infant loss and the long, uncertain journey of a fragile preemie's hospitalization.
Their paths through grief and the ways they’ve chosen to create space for others to heal are as unique as their journeys to parenthood. Both have volunteered and fundraised in support of Mount Sinai Hospital, including volunteering with a committee of parents and family members who support parents whose children are currently admitted to the NICU.
For Kieran, the experiences of losing Beckett and navigating Lincoln’s time in the NICU inspired her to change her career path and become certified as a grief and trauma coach. Through her business, Becoln (a combination of Beckett and Lincoln’s names), she provides support to families navigating loss and other unexpected challenges like the hospitalization of an infant, birth trauma, fertility journeys or providing care for a child with high medical needs. She’s passionate about helping families feel less alone as they walk along a difficult path.
Suzanne has also chosen to find ways to offer comfort to grieving families. Through her company, Cuddle for Keeps, she makes hand-crafted keepsake bears that can be purchased to honour the memory of a lost child or to celebrate the joy of a new life. Both the Birth and Bereavement Bears are made to match the birthweight of the child being honoured. And because of the special place Sinai Health holds in her heart, Suzanne donates a portion of all the proceeds to support neonatal, maternal and mental health.
“Sinai Health provided the utmost care during my pregnancies,” says Suzanne. “They were instrumental in the successful deliveries of my subsequent children. Supporting Sinai Health is a way for me to express my gratitude and help advance critical research and initiatives in maternal, neonatal and mental health care”.
Support compassionate care for parents
Every year, Mount Sinai Hospital oversees more than 7,000 births, including approximately 1,100 premature deliveries. We specialize in high-risk pregnancies and provide innovative and specialized care for extremely premature and low-birth weight infants.
When you donate to Sinai Health, you join a community of supporters like Suzanne and Kieran, who are helping to ensure that every patient can access specialized care and support when they need it most. Donate today.
The NICU and the Medical Complications in Pregnancy Programs are both part of The Frances Bloomberg Centre for Women's and Infants' Health at Mount Sinai Hospital – Canada's largest academic centre for women's and infants’ health and one of the top five in the world.
Related news and stories
View all News and Stories
