At Lincoln South Rotary Club, we heard from No Footprint too Small on February 2, 2024. Our presenter was Rachel Schaben who is the Community Outreach Coordinator and Support Group Coordinator.
We learned how the organization got started. What purpose did it serve - what need did it fill?.
Founder Jolie Vega and her husband experienced miscarriage. They were heartbroken and alone. They moved to Nebraska because of his military career so did not yet have an extensive support group of friends. Noting the obvious gap in support, Jolie was called to this need for bereaved mothers and fathers.
She enrolled in certified counseling courses, and continues to pursue a Masters Degree in Clinical Counseling. Since founding No Footprint Too Small in 2016, They have served 100s of families in Nebraska - and across the country. They strive to gain visibility and credibility to ensure that they can continue to provide reliable service of support for those experiencing this heartbreaking bereavement.
Mission (found at https://nofootprinttoosmall.com/): No Footprint Too Small is a 501c3 nonprofit organization located in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our mission is to provide comprehensive perinatal support to mothers, fathers, and families who are affected by pregnancy or infant loss.
Rachel shared the types of services available by No Footprint Too Small.
Care Package - contains special gifts including journals with writing prompts, a special bracelet for fathers, books including material suitable for siblings, gift card to local restaurant, etc.
Weighted memory bears - offered as therapeutic tools - to relieve the pain of not being able to physically hold their baby. Each bear is filled with either sand or rice to weigh the exact birth weight of the baby. The baby's name, birth date, and birth weight is then embroidered on a heart that is sewn onto the bear's belly.
Funeral Assistance - not only do they help with arrangements, but they provide financial support helping relieve the burden of the family during this time of loss
Clinic Packages - these are informational packets that are given to the family upon learning that they have lost, or will lose, their child. They include books but also pamphlets with support information.
The tagline on their website is:
1 in 4 women experience pregnancy loss - you are not alone.
Rachel stated that 1 in every 100 women experience multiple losses.
She is one of them - and she shared her very personal story:
She and her husband married in 2014 and, after 3 years, decided to start a family. During her first pregnancy, during the 10-week ultrasound, they found that the baby had not grown past 5 weeks. The options - the decisions - were hard. She had 2 more miscarriages and they decided to look into fertility treatments.
Meanwhile, she was also building a relationship with a niece. The niece found out she was pregnant. Once she decided that she could not care for the child, they made an agreement. Rachel and her husband were to adopt the child - Ezra. However, he was born with HSV1 and they lost him when he was 2 weeks old.
They had stopped fertility treatments and they decided to become foster parents. She shared that, you hear stories of parents who give up on being natural parents fostering and then suddenly find that they are pregnant. That happened to them - they have a 3 year old daughter now.
Rachel shared that the trauma was burst wide open. After having her daughter, they got pregnant again. But, she miscarried at 8 weeks. She reached out to a friend and simply asked "how do you get through this". Her friend said "your story gives others hope".
Rachel is what No Footprint Too Small is all about.
Rachel continues to share her story. Through that she finds comfort and hope - but also brings that to others. She is an empathetic ear - soothing voice - giving heart.
BIO
Rachel Schaben is the Community Outreach / Support Group Coordinator for No Footprint Too Small.
She is a volunteer and advocate for women and families navigating a pregnancy and/or infant loss.
Administrative projects include document creation, data entry, and social media management. She works one-on-one and with small groups to provide support, knowledge and administrative support.
She has experienced loss as a mom and strives to help others through their journeys.
She has been a volunteer in with No Footprint too Small for a year, providing support with fundraising, public speaking and programming management.