Molly Bears helps families grieving loss of an infant
Back in July while at the RWA national conference in Anaheim, I interviewed best-selling author Lisa Jackson, who told me a story that really touched me. She told me about Molly Bears, a non-profit organization formed to help families who've experienced the loss of an infant.
"As someone whose family has suffered the tragedy of infant loss," Lisa says, "I know firsthand how much comfort a hand-crafted bear from Molly Bears can bring to those with empty arms. I'm in full support of Bridget Crews and the whole team at Molly Bears who have helped ease the pain of grief for so many families with their beautiful bears."
Bridget Crews founded Molly Bears after she suffered the loss of her unborn child, Molly Christine, at 34 weeks.
Bridget tells this story on the Molly Bears website about how the organization came about after her loss: "I was given a weighted teddy bear from a dear friend from high school. This bear weighed three pounds. In an effort to have a bear that weighed the same as Molly, I bought a shell and a package of rice. In the middle of the produce isle, I carefully weighed rice, fluff and the shell. I am sure people thought I was crazy, but I did not care. I went home and with my children and husband, we created the very first Molly Bear. For the first time in weeks, I was able to sleep holding her. It was then that I knew I had to find a way to help other angel families."
Molly Bears gives their bears away at no cost, not even charging grieving families for postage.
Bridget joins HEA now to share info about Molly Bears, some Molly Bears stories and how HEA's readers can help as we head into the holidays, a time for kindness and giving.
Joyce: Welcome to HEA, Bridget! Please share with readers the purpose of Molly Bears.
Bridget: Molly Bears is a 501c3 organization. We make weighted teddy bears, free of charge, for families who have experienced all forms of infant loss. We create bears weighing as little as half an ounce to 22 pounds.
Joyce: About how many people has Molly Bears helped so far?
Bridget: Molly Bears has created 2,358 bears to date. By Dec. 15 we will have created 2,600 bears. We have helped over 2,200 families!
Joyce: Wow, that's amazing. Some people might say you can't replace a child with a teddy bear. What would you say to them?
Bridget: I would say that they are 100% correct. Our bears help comfort families and aid in the healing process. They also serve as a remembrance and a way to show the world that their baby was here. Our bears also help to fill their aching arms. When Molly died, my arms had a very real, physical ache to them. I could not sleep at night. I honestly did not know how to function. I was a mommy who did not get to bring her baby home. Losing a child is the most unnatural thing a parent can experience. When I created our Molly Bear, I could sleep for the first time in over a month.
Joyce: Can you share some stories about people whom Molly Bears has helped?
Bridget: We have created bears for families who have had multiple miscarriages. There have been several couples who have had two full-term losses. We have created bears to represent twins and triplets. I created a bear for a family who lost their only child, a 3-year-old boy, to a drunk driver. We have had babies who have died from chromosomal abnormalities, placental abruption, cord accidents, hospital accidents and SIDS. We have also created sibling bears for a brother and sister who died in a fire at the family home. Several bears we have made for mommies whose babies died due to domestic violence. We have also created two sets of conjoined twins. Every single bear we create has its own individual story.
Joyce: What's the process for someone to apply to obtain a Molly Bear?
Bridget: We open our waiting list on the 30th of every month for 24 hours. The waiting list is found at www.mollybears.com. The current wait time for a Molly Bear is 12-14 months.
Joyce: How can HEA's readers help Molly Bears help grieving families?
Bridget: We are in desperate need of donations. We currently create 150-180 bears each month. We should be creating 300+ to keep up with the new orders we receive each time we open our list. We need to add bear makers but cannot afford to add new ones or create a larger amount of bears without added funds coming in. We have many people willing to donate their time and we are grateful for that. It just unfortunately comes down to not having enough money. The best way for your readers to help us fill as many arms as possible is to donate money. (Note from Joyce: You can go here on the Molly Bears website to donate.)
Joyce: Is there anything you'd like to add?
Bridget: Our Molly has sent us on this mission. Molly Bears is truly a gift and it's a complete honor to be trusted to create these weighted teddy bears for all the families in need. This has become my life's mission along with my sister-in-law, Amanda Crews; my dear friend and fellow angel mommy, Tamberly Slagle; and the many bear makers we are blessed to have.
Joyce: Thank you, Bridget, for sharing your story with us!
To find out more about Molly Bears, you can visit its website, MollyBears.com. You can also visit Molly Bears' Facebook page and connect on Twitter (@MollyBearsOrg).