Our Stories
Bear Hugs of Hope:
Stories of Love and Loss
It was a normal Wednesday morning when my phone rang. I picked it up, looked at the number and almost didn’t answer it. It was an out of state number and a number I did not recognize. Then a voice in my head said “answer the call. You have hospitals you ship bears to in that state.”
So, I answered the call “Hello this is Linda”.
No reply… I was about to hang up when I heard a man’s voice, but I could not understand what he was saying.
I was convinced it was a telemarketer. As I was getting ready to hang up, again, the voice in my head, saying “Don’t hang up, listen to him”.
So, I waited a few seconds and then realized the person on the other end of the phone was crying. He reintroduced himself.
Through his tears he told me his name and that he and his wife had just lost their baby, full term. He shared that they received one of our teddy bears and the brochure about the foundation.
He was quiet for a few seconds but I could hear him crying. Then he thanked me for the teddy bear.
I told him to hug, squeeze and cry with the teddy bear as much as he wanted to, to help with his pain and healing. I told him the bear isn’t meant to replace the child, but at least he has something to hold during this painful time, as he tries to heal.
We continued to talk for a few more minutes, him sharing how much he and his wife were hurting and about how painful this is. He asked me a few more questions.
He then asked how Jess and Brian were doing since Brianna’s passing. (I wonder if this question was because their world was just turned upside down and he wanted to find out if they will be OK, in time).
He then asked if they had any other children since Brianna. (I wonder if he asked this question in hope that someday they might be able to have another child).
He then thanked me for taking his call.
Every so often I wonder if I should continue with the Foundation. And every time God sends me my answer.
Prayers to all the families that have experienced this unbelievable pain.
Prayers for all the continued support we get from folks like you!
Good morning, I just wanted to take a moment and thank you and your organization for what you do. I lost my baby this past week and it has been a whirlwind. I am lost and hurt. One thing that has helped me sleep and stay calm is the teddy bear I received from the Foundation during my stay at the hospital. I am so grateful for that bear. So, thank you. I also wanted you to know, because July is my birthday month, I started a Facebook fund raiser for your Foundation. I truly thank you from the bottom of my heart! God Bless,
Hi, I lost my son Alexander on 3/23/2019. I went into preterm labor and he was born by C Section due to being breech and to give him the best shot at surviving; born at 24 weeks and 2 days. He will always be my hardest goodbye and a big part of my heart was gone with him that day. The Bereavement Director came into my room holding a memory box and a bear. She said that no mom should leave the hospital empty handed. Alexander is my first child and my hands were so painfully empty. I held the bear tightly each night and cried. It has been three months since losing my son and the bear sits on top of my bed frame. If the day is super hard for me, I get to hold the bear to get through the night. You have no idea what a difference your Foundation makes! I am forever grateful for the bear. Thank you so, so, so much!
I lost my baby girl today, also May 14. When I read the brochure I couldn’t believe the date was the same. I just wanted to say thank you for the teddy bear. While I know it doesn’t replace the baby in any way, it is something to hold onto and cry with. This is my first loss experienced and I am forever traumatized. I can’t imagine what Jessica and Brian went through. My baby girl was 16 weeks. I have faith with knowing she is in heaven with my mother and I will see her again one day, just like I believe Jessica, Brian, Linda and any other family members will see Brianna again.
The teddy bear will be forever cherished- thank you. It means more than you know.
We had a loss yesterday. It was absolutely heartbreaking. Their little girl survived 2 weeks and fought so hard before she passed. When I placed Brianna’s teddy bear in that momma’s arms, she held it so close. It was also in all the memorial pictures. I can’t tell you how much that bear meant to that mom. When she left the hospital, she was also holding on to that bear for dear life.
We had 5 losses this week. I gave a bear out this morning to a gal and her fiancé’. The gal grabbed the bear and hugged it and cried. I went back in her room a little later and she said she didn’t want to leave the hospital. However, having the bear, was making it easier to, as she had laid the bear in the bassinet with the baby, so she felt like she was taking a little bit of the baby home with her.
I just wanted to take a moment and thank you and your organization for what you do. I lost my baby this past week and it has been a whirlwind. I am so lost and hurt. One thing that has helped me sleep and stay calm is the teddy bear I received from the Foundation during my stay at the hospital. I am so grateful for is that teddy bear. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Dear Brianna Lee Foundation (esp. Brianna’s Mommy and Daddy).I want you to know just how much we continue to treasure our “Eli Bear”, the bear we were gifted to take home from the hospital in place of a living child. It has been over 2 years now. We just celebrated Eli’s 2 nd birthday on 12/8/22 and mourn his absence daily. But every family picture, birthday and big event for the Cousin Crew, Eli is represented by our beloved bear. His big and little brothers snuggle it too. Thank you for the solace your bear has brought us!
Thank you for all your Foundation does. Your donated bear creates lasting comfort and memories of our daughter, Liliana Rose. I’m sorry you had to endure a similar pain but know that you have truly paid it forward in Brianna’s name and helped countless families make it through the toughest moments.
Enclosed please find a donation for your wonderful Foundation. We make this in honor of our little granddaughter, Lydia Jessie, who was stillborn on January 1, A teddy bear provided at that time provided great comfort to our daughter, Phyllis and her husband Jim.
Brianna Lee Foundation, Thank you for providing us with a teddy bear in remembrance of our daughter. It brings us a light in this very dark time. Thank you for your support. I encourage everyone to like their page, they help grieving parents by proving us with something we didn’t know we needed. Thank you.
Thank you so much for the recent donation of sweet bears for our unit. These will be so treasured by families who lose their baby. We have some that are smaller in size but these larger bears will be wonderful for those who have lost babies closer to term. Thank you for blessing others who have also experienced your pain of losing a baby. We will count it a privilege to honor Brianna by giving out her bears.
Thank you so much! It is a great blessing to know that we’re able to help contribute to your organization, in order to help other grieving families, the way we were and are, as we continue to be comforted by having one of your bears. We even call it “Ethan bear” and our daughter knows he’s very special to all of us.
I cannot tell you how much the bears mean to our patients. We had a patient who lost a baby at 20 weeks last year and she came in at 21 weeks recently in preterm labor. We conservatively managed her and then transferred her at 22 weeks to another hospital who specialize in very small preterm deliveries. The patient came in clutching her bear and never let go of it the entire stay. You bring so much joy to our patients and it is so meaningful to them. Thank you for everything you do and we truly appreciate you all.
From my wife and I’s whole hearts, we want to say thank you for what your organization does. We recently had a stillbirth and this bear has truly helped us greatly. It does not change the circumstances, but holding and hugging and looking at this bear is a sweet way for us to remember and hope and love. We just needed you to know that what you’re doing is nothing short of amazing. Sincerely with love,
Thank you! We don’t go a night without having our bear in bed between us thinking of our son. Thank you for your mission. It means more than you can possibly know.
We had a beautiful Butterfly Release and flower planting event last Sunday to honor all our little babies. We honored 67 babies and had a gorgeous day with crafts, a harpist, bubbles and refreshments. We had over 220 people come out to honor their babies. Many of these families have come through our doors in the last few years and most have received one of your bears. Thank you so much for your beautiful ministry!
Just a quick note to request bears for our hospital bereavement program, if possible, please we are down to three unfortunately. I wanted to tell you though that just this past week, I gave out a bear to a family who had a full term (38 weeks loss) of a baby girl, it would have been their 4 th child and their 2 nd girl. The younger siblings were 8, 4, and 1.5 yrs. old. I can’t tell you how much the comfort that bear brought to those little brothers and sisters (at least through my
eyes) they held onto it so tight and were so happy to have something to hold while their mommy held their baby sister. The littlest one carried it with him then the whole day. Thank you for allowing me as a nurse to be able to provide them with this comfort, I’ve been a high
risk obstetrics nurse and bereavement coordinator for 17 years now and I’ll never take that for granted. Thank you again from our staff.
Thank you for the recent shipment of Brianna Lee bears. Your kindness touches so many lives!
Thank you for the recent shipment of Brianna Lee bears. Your kindness touches so many lives!
Your Foundation’s concept that each mom that has to leave the hospital without their baby instead gets to leave with a teddy bear seemed small and meaningless. However once I had to leave my daughter behind and was walking out of the hospital with the bear held tight to me, I realized how much comfort and strength the bear gave me to be able to leave. There are many days that I still hold the
bear for comfort. I hope every mom who has to go through this can experience the comfort and love the Brianna Lee Foundation bear gave me. Thank You so much for making sure we didn’t go home empty handed!
What a wonderful thing you are doing! I too had a still birth many years ago. I left the hospital empty handed and most everyone acted as though I had never been pregnant. It was devastating! So, you can see my interest in your wonderful mission. God bless you and your effort to help those heartbroken mamas.
My name is Robert and I would like to start this out by saying thank you so much for what you guys do. So, me and my Fiancé Andrea lost our son Bentley Greyson, this past December. This was absolutely devastating for the both of us but more so for her. We were at the Reid Health Hospital in Richmond Indiana. Luckily, they are a part of your family. So, sitting there in the hospital room after probably the hardest day the both of us have been through, our nurse walks in
with a little keepsake box and a teddy bear. Confused by the Teddy bear at first, we didn’t realize that it would be one of, if not the most important tools she would be given to help cope with this tragedy. The nurse continued to explain to us what your foundation was about and everything that y’all do. This bear has meant more to my Fiancé than we ever would have guessed. After going through such a tragedy that we both had never experienced before this, we struggled because it is normally something that doesn’t get talked about much after it happened. So, I wanted to make it a point to be very open about it to always try to help the next set of parents that might experience a tragedy as horrific as this. After all this is said and done we never would have been able to make it through this without your foundation and our Dart Family that is so strong in Richmond. Thank You
Several times a year Jim and I head up north to Traverse City Michigan. The beauty of Lake Michigan, the vineyards and the quaint shops are amazing. Our favorite places to go in the Traverse City area is Lake Leelanau, Old Mission Point and Suttons Bay. This area is considered
wine country. So yes, we stop and sample wines and enjoy the beauty of Lake Michigan.
The middle of January we decided to go north for a few days. We stopped at a winery we hadn’t been to before, got a glass of wine and sat in the big comfy chairs by the fireplace.
Another couple came into the winery about the same time we did. They too got a glass of wine and joined us at the fireplace.
We started chatting and sharing information. They shared that they recently retired and that they live in the Detroit area. During our sharing, they stated they didn’t have any children.
He noticed Jim’s veteran license plate and as they talked, they found out they both served over in Viet Nam, a few years apart. This gave the guys had a lot to talk about and share. He was a military police officer in Nam and Jim was in the jungle. So yes, they were in different areas of service but the two departments of service did cross paths. He then shared that he was a retired police officer.
I asked her where she retired from and she told me she was a retired nurse. I asked what hospital she retired from and she told me. I excitedly stated “we have a nonprofit and that is one of the hospitals we are in.” She asked me about the nonprofit so I explained how we
had a granddaughter who was born still. After Brianna was born into the arms of Jesus, our son Brian gave our daughter in law Jessica, a teddy bear so that she didn’t leave the hospital with empty arms. As I watched how much that teddy bear helped Jessica in her healing process, we decided to start the Brianna Lee Foundation to help all those moms that were faced with leaving the hospital with empty arms.
As I looked at her closer, I noticed she had tears running down her face. Not a few tears falling, but streams of tears running down her face. I apologized for making her cry. Her comment to me was “We had one child 30 years ago. She too was a stillbirth. You have no idea
how much a teddy would have helped me! I wish you were around back then as I would have loved to have had a bear to cuddle and hug and cry with.” Thirty years later and the pain is still so strong!
At this point all I could do was give her a hug and tell her I was sorry. So, for all the moms who lost a child and never got a teddy bear, we honor you and we cry with you! We also rejoice in that fact that the Brianna Lee Foundation is a Foundation that honors all the stillborn
babies and to the moms that have shared in this tragedy. God bless you!
We had a mom who delivered a healthy baby and the day after the mom and baby were discharged, the baby died of SIDS. The mom had some health issues so she was re-admitted into the hospital. I went up to her room to see her. I gave this mom one of the Brianna Lee teddy bears. Every time we checked on this mom after she received the teddy bear, we would find her cuddling the teddy bear. This
bear was able to touch this mom’s heart in a way nothing or no one else could.
I give the bears to the moms to hold while they are in labor, knowing their baby will be still born.
We had a dad call two days after his wife was sent home, asking if he too could have a teddy bear, to help him in his time of grief.
We just recently had a couple who was facing some very tough decisions as their baby had a brain anomaly that wasn’t conducive to life. We gave them a teddy bear to help them in their time of grief.
All of this support for all the moms and dads in all of our hospitals is due to your continued support. So thank you for allowing the Brianna Lee teddy bears to be a blessing to so many in a very tragic time.
To the Brianna Lee Foundation, Please accept our sincere gratitude for the bear we received at Community Hospital, in Munster IN., following the delivery of our son Koen. What a beautiful way to minister to those who share in the painful loss of a stillborn. You certainly touched our family! Also – thank you for allowing us to get bears for our other five children. They are well- loved and well – traveled already!
Our 8-year-old daughter and 10-year-old on held their bears throughout the memorial service for their brother. What a gift! Thank You! Sincerely
Brianna Lee Foundation, My husband and I wanted to reach out and personally thank you for your wonderful foundation. I delivered our triplets, Ryan, Blayke, and Carson prematurely at 21 weeks 5 days on 12/30/17 at which time they passed away. The hospital I delivered our beautiful babies at, Lehigh Valley Hospital, located in Allentown, PA provided us with two blue and one pink teddy bear from your
foundation after delivery. We initially didn’t know what to think of the teddy bears, however upon arriving home they have become the only shred of comfort we have found— having something to hold and cry with has proven to be more meaningful than we could have ever imagined, and we have the Brianna Lee Foundation to thank for that. As ironic as it sounds, our triplets were fraternal, and one of the first things I noticed about the bears we received was how each bear was slightly different, just like our babies— despite receiving two blue bears in honor of Ryan and Carson, the blue bears have different fabric on their ears making each one unique and allowing us to delineate which bear represents which of our boys. The pink bear undoubtedly represents our baby girl, Blayke. Words cannot express how grateful we are for the Brianna Lee Foundation. We will continue to spread the word about your selfless mission. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you. With love and gratitude,
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