When our sweet little Charlotte came into this world on August 14th, 2020, we knew only that our beautiful daughter was here. We didn't know we would only have 30 days with her, that her family would have limited time with her, that the NICU would become her home, and that our sweet little girl wouldn't experience the life we had imagined for her.

Charlotte was admitted to the NICU at the Grey Nuns the day after she was born. Five days later, we were transferred to the NICU at the Stollery Children's Hospital, where the nurses and doctors became our family.

We had planned, dreamed and hoped for a new baby to add to our growing brood. We anticipated another carefree pregnancy, our fifth, after four healthy births and four perfect babies. But our bubble was broken and our dreams shattered when our fifth born child, third born son Bretton-Elijah Lucas arrived far too early on the morning of March 25th, 1996. His gentle birth changed our world forever and we will never be the same again.

My name is Lori-Ann Huot, I have been married to my wonderful husband Rene for 29 years and I am a proud mother to 6 daughters; 4 daughters that I hold in my arms and 2 baby girls, Loren and Brooklynn, that I will forever hold in my heart.

We lost Loren in 1998 to a partial molar pregnancy and we lost Brooklynn (the twin to our youngest daughter) in 2002 after complications from a subchorionic hemorrhage. Our journey through the loss of our 2 angels changed the trajectory of my life in many ways. I made a commitment to find purpose in my pain and honour our girls’ legacies in any way I could.

I’m Sarah, I am a registered nurse with a background in NICU and ER nursing. I became involved with Tiny Footprints in 2016 in Calgary, when my friend and coworker Kristina Oriold co-founded the organization with Jen Woods, in honour of Riley Oriold who passed away shortly after her birth in 2011. It has been an immense privilege to lead the expansion of Tiny Footprints to the Edmonton area, and I am incredibly honoured to serve the perinatal loss community in this way.

My involvement with baby loss began in a professional capacity. While working in the NICU at Foothills Hospital in Calgary, I journeyed with numerous families through the loss of their baby. One baby in particular, Cove, changed my life forever. I cared for her in the NICU and was devastated when she died only a few short days after her birth. I carry her with me in my heart and have roses planted in my garden to honour her. I think of her often. She would be turning 10 years old this year, and I continue to be impacted by her life. When I began teaching birth empowerment classes, I named my small business “The Birth Cove” in her memory. She has shaped me as a nurse, as an educator, as an advocate, as a mother, and a friend. You can read more about her story here.

In 2020, my partner and I experienced the loss of our daughter, Miri. Our last happy day with her, when we saw her on ultrasound and heard her heartbeat, was August 20th 2020 - Cove’s birthday, and also our wedding anniversary. The very next day, I unexpectedly went into labour and Miri was born, much too small and too early to survive, right near the end of first trimester. She was born at home, and we buried her in our backyard under the hydrangea bush. The hydrangeas have been white or green every year before and after, but in summer 2020, before Miri died, they bloomed with a beautiful light pink blush.

I’m Bailly MacMillan, I spent a decade in the live events industry and now work as a perinatal yoga teacher. In 2018, while I was pregnant with my son, my niece, Adelaide, was stillborn. Her loss affected me deeply. I’m grateful for the opportunity to honour her by contributing my time and skills to the work Tiny Footprints is doing.

In 2018 I was pregnant with my first child. I was so excited to be pregnant alongside my sister, our babies were to be 4 months apart.

I’m Patti Walker, and I am a Registered Nurse and the Perinatal Bereavement Coordinator for the Edmonton Zone. I have been working in a variety of roles to support individuals and families who are grieving the loss of their baby for over 30 years. I became involved with Tiny Footprints in 2021, when the organization expanded to Edmonton. It felt like a natural fit to become involved with this wonderful, supportive organization as another way to honour all these families. Although the cause is meaningful to me on a professional level, it is close to my heart on a personal level, too.

My husband Cam and I were married June 11, 1988, and waited until 1992 to try to conceive. We were pregnant with Ernie in just a couple of months. (Ernie was not the name we had chosen, but this nickname is who he/she is). I went for my ultrasound at 15 weeks. We brought my 11-year-old stepdaughter Suzanne to create a bonding experience for everyone. I was told there was no heartbeat. We were devastated, and poor Suzanne was so confused.

After some time, we chose to risk trying to conceive again. Again, it did not take long to conceive and we were happily expecting Perry. (Again, not the name we had chosen, but a beautiful, quirky nickname.) We were due in December 1993.