Welcome to the Iowa Chapter of the Star Legacy Foundation!
Based in Dubuque, Iowa, our chapter serves Iowa and a small portion of Southwest Wisconsin.
Established in July 2018, we are a group of parents, family members, friends, and supporters of families with babies amongst the stars. We know the pain and devastation of losing a child and want you to know you are not alone.
Our Mission
Our mission is to:
- Support bereaved parents
- Educate the medical community and public about stillbirth
- Increase awareness and address the stigma surrounding stillbirth
- Raise funds for research
- Prevent the loss of children to stillbirth
Current Initiatives
- Cherish the Children: Held annually in October. This memorial walk and celebration of life helps us honor angel babies and raise money for the Star Legacy Foundation.
- Monthly Iowa Chapter meetings: Third Tuesday of every month (Jan-Nov) from 6:30-7:30pm. Contact us for the location.
- If you are in the area and want to connect with other parents who have experienced the loss of a child, or want to learn more about our cause, please contact us at [email protected].
- Collaborate with local support groups and agencies
- Angel Wings Support Group 563-590-3681
- Babies Gone too Soon 608-571-2487
- Compassionate Friends Support Group 563-590-2292
- No Foot Too Small nofoottoosmall.org
- SHARE Support Group and Resource Library 563-589-9599
- Threshold Singers 515-451-2291
Future Chapter Services or Initiatives
- Peer Support. Peer companions are individuals who have first-hand experience with pregnancy loss and neonatal death and have been trained to help others along their grief journey.
- Photography: offering newborn photos to families who have experienced a loss at no cost.
- Care Packages and a bereavement resources guide for families who have experienced a loss.
- Advocacy Efforts. Our chapter will be working on state legislation to offer a stillborn tax credit and a certificate of stillbirth to bereaved families.
- Educational Efforts. We plan to offer training related to stillbirth and child loss to healthcare and mental health providers.
- Social Events. We will host area “socials” for families who have experienced loss to connect and build community such as bereaved mother’s and father’s day events.
- Recruit participants for the Pregnancy Research Project
Upcoming Events
- Jan – November: Monthly Chapter meetings
- October: Kids Expo Outreach Event
- October: Annual Celebration of Life Champion Events
- December: Participate in Angel of Hope Event (SHARE)
Stillbirth Facts – why we do what we do……
Statistics: Top Ten Facts of Stillbirths in the US
- Iowa’s rate of fetal mortality is 4.2 fetal deaths for every 1,000 live births. The national rate is 5.96/1000 live births.
- Stillbirth is the most understudied issue in medicine today.
- The stillbirth rate in the US has not changed in the last 50 years.
- More than 26,000 babies are stillborn each year – 71 per day.
- One in 160 pregnancies end in stillbirth.
- 50% of stillbirths occur at full term and often seem to be otherwise healthy babies.
- 85% of stillbirths occur before delivery.
- More babies are stillborn annually than die from prematurity and SIDS combined.
- 77% of parents never worried their baby would die after the first trimester.
- The US ranks 48th out of 49 developed nations in the world for annual rate of reduction of stillbirths.
Source: Star Legacy Foundation
Chapter Leadership Team
- Chair: Tara Velez
- Vice Chair: Rita Wiegman
- Secretary: Spring Connolly
- Treasurer: Sherri Edwards
- Event Chair: Jamie Moor
- Family Support Chair: Courtney Runde
- Education & Outreach Chair: Kelly McMahon
Contact the Iowa Chapter
952-715-7731 ext. 722
[email protected]
Grief Support
If you or someone you know is grieving the loss of a child, you can call 952-715-7731 x 1. Certified Grief Counselors staff this support line.
Star Legacy Foundation provides live, online support groups for families who have experienced a perinatal loss and for individuals experiencing a pregnancy after a loss. Groups are held via HIPAA-compliant videoconferencing and facilitated by trained health professionals. Registration is required only for the first time you attend. After that you will receive a reminder before each session that will include login information specific to each session. More information here.
- Bereaved Parents of Perinatal Loss – 1st & 3rd Mondays of each month at 6:30 pm
- This group is for parents who have lost a baby to pregnancy or neonatal loss.
- Pregnancy After Loss – Every Monday at 7:30 pm
- This group is for parents currently in a pregnancy following a prior loss.
- Parenting After Loss – 2nd & 4th Mondays at 11:00 am
- This group is for parents who are raising a rainbow baby after a previous loss.
- Grandparents & Extended Family – 1st Wednesday of each month 6:30 pm