JOHNSON COUNTY — There is an area dedicated to little lives lost too soon at Greenlawn Cemetery in Franklin.
It’s a place for parents to remember the lives of their lost children. One of those parents is Claire Olson, and one of those headstones is dedicated to her daughter, Piper.
"At that time, we had three living boys at home. We were pregnant during the pandemic,” Olson said. “We ended up losing her in Aug. 2020. "
Following the loss of her only daughter, Olson says mostly she felt shocked but was able to have moments with Piper thanks to resources that were in place where she delivered.
“We had a nurse who guided us and allowed us to parent Piper as close as possible to if she was living and if it was a healthy pregnancy,” Olson said. “That is a gift I will forever be grateful for, and my husband will forever be grateful for, because those are the only moments that you can have some version of it.”
According to the March of Dimes, 10-20% of all pregnancies end in a miscarriage. However, not all families can say goodbye properly like Olson did.
“We usually include a small blanket of some sort, this is just an example they can be all sizes,” Olson said.
Olson created Piper’s Purpose, which started as a group on Facebook for women and families going through infant loss but turned into something much bigger. The non-profit now provides resources and care packages to both families suffering a recent loss, as well as health care professionals.
“We offer support for living siblings,” Olson said. “A healthcare provider or nurse can say ‘you have other children at home? Here are some books and activities to talk to your children about this.’”
The organization also provides cards and other gifts for health care providers that must inform families that their pregnancy is no longer viable. Those items are often precious keepsakes that hospitals wouldn’t provide otherwise.
“Giving us some of those things we wouldn’t have had, like things that are extras for our families so we can have a steady supply of everything we need,” Jenny Cable, Bereavement Nurse Navigator at Ascension St. Vincent, said.
Olson says the loss of a child is always with you, but she hopes Piper’s Purpose can provide comfort to both families and healthcare professionals.
“It was so selfless of her to come into this world how she has,” Olson said. “I just want to be that extension. Healthcare professionals need more support in this area.”
Piper’s Purpose works with the following organizations:
- International Wave of Light Info
- Black baby loss Awareness Week
- Amos' Anchors
- Inviting Abundance
- RTZ HOPE
- Postpartum Support International
- Shades of Being a MOM
- SAILS
Health professionals can request a 30 minute consultation with Olson. To learn more about Piper's Purpose, click here.
