In Memory of Austin Ryan Georgoff
If you would like to make a gift in memory of Austin Ryan Georgoff, please fill out the form at the bottom of this page.
October is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss month, which is dedicated to honoring all those who have suffered from pregnancy loss and infant death including, stillbirth, SIDS, delivery loss, and miscarriages. Infant and pregnancy loss is not usually talked about, even though 1 in 4 women will lose a baby during pregnancy, delivery, or infancy. Sadly, a large portion of those impacted are a result of stillbirth, effecting 24,000 babies a year….70 babies a day, which is equivalent to a school bus full of children that will be born still. Stillbirth is defined as a pregnancy loss after 20 weeks, requiring the mother to deliver her child. Most people have heard of stillbirth but assume it’s something that does not really happen anymore with modern medicine and/or taking all the right precautions recommended by Doctors. I assumed the same and never gave it a second thought at 35 weeks pregnant.
On August 18th, 2021, I had an intuition and a gut feeling that something was off. However, I was I feeling great (at least for an 8-month pregnant women) and had no reason to worry as I was just at a doctor appointment the week prior where everything checked out perfectly. I chalked it up to being to being paranoid. The next morning my doctor advised me to come into the hospital and get checked out just in case...
“I am sorry, your baby has no heartbeat, he is gone”… are the words that I will never forget and changed my life forever on August 19th, 2021. I will never forget the gut punch of emotion in that moment…it’s a pain that stays with you forever. Confused, scared, and grieving I began the process to deliver my son. The next 24 hours were surreal and I was just trying to survive minute by minute. The day I dreamed about was now a nightmare that there was no waking up from. On August 20th I delivered my sweet and precious son, Austin Ryan Georgoff. He was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen, he had his mama’s big forehead, his daddy’s tiny chin and full brown head of hair like both of his parents.
I am so thankful that I was able to spend 24 hours with my little Austin. Being able to bond, hold, kiss and snuggle are memories that I will keep for a lifetime. These memories have helped me through the healing process and were encouraged by the bereavement team ‘HEART Strings’ through the Northside Foundation. This special team is made up of volunteers, staff, and nurses that receive training through the HEART STRING nonprofit program. This special team also provides the care boxes that include pictures of your baby, foot/handprints, stuffed animals, blankets, baby clothes, birthstone trinkets, and other small items in your baby’s honor. I know these things seem small, but I can attest the pictures and memory box items are the things that have helped me get through the most difficult minutes, hours, days, and weeks of my life. The HEART Strings program also provides free peer mentoring programs, monthly support groups, and an annual day of remembrance in mid-October to support National Pregnancy and Infant Loss month. These services are free of charge to any family that needs support.
So many communities do not have resourcing to help and support families grieving the loss of their baby. In honor of Austin Ryan Georgoff and National Pregnancy and Infant Loss month. I am sponsoring a fundraiser for the HEART Strings Program so every family who has this devastating loss receives the care and the support they need to honor and grieve for their little one that was taken too soon.
