Often A Small Victory receives emails praising our effort. Here are a few we have received. Names have all been removed to protect privacy, states have been included when possible.

 

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I met Liz online in 2005 through birth club bulletin board, she was pregnant with her second child, having had a stillborn daughter, Janell Victory in 2004. I was pregnant with my third. I knew very little about pregnancy loss, stillbirth or neonatal infant death. Tragically I found out more than I cared to know when my own daughter was stillborn at 6 months. Although I live in Missouri and Liz lives in Washington, Liz reached out to me and we began a casual friendship as I walked the road of grief she had walked the previous year. Society tends to shy away from uncomfortable subjects like stillbirth or infant loss and even grief. Parents are often left alone in their sadness and grief . Even the medical field is at a loss as to how to handle stillbirths...there is no set procedure at most hospitals. Where most parents have a lifetime to create memories, parents of stillbirths and infant losses are given hours.
Liz and her husband have taken their grief and pain and started an organization to help parents who find themselves in similiar situations. They provide loss kits, filled with things necessary to capture memories. They provide resources for grief counseling. Stillbirth happens more often than one thinks. Not once in my previous two pregnancies had my OB mentioned stillbirth or anything of the sort...no pamphlets or posters addressing it are in her office....but as many as 1 in 200 pregnancies end in stillbirth, over 27,000 last year alone.
Asmallvictory.org is the website for A Small Victory. I could type all day but not do her justice. I would really love it, if someone could spend sometime reading what a wonderful thing the Allen's have started. Liz is truly a hero to me and will bne to many more mothers who sadly may have to say goodbye to their child before they even get to say hello. -Missouri

I can't thank you enough for the beautiful package you sent. It touched my heart and I will treasure all of the items always. I think what you are doing for others is so wonderful. -Florida

I wish my local hospital had these when I was in after miscarrying my first baby. Instead, I have a manilla envelope with all the ultrasounds and cards and such. I know this will mean a lot to parents in those situations. You are truly helping me out at a tough time. -Pennsylvania

I just received my kit today. It is so beautiful. Thank you so much. I will cherish my memories of my angel in it for a very long time. -Pennsylvania

I just need to say how in awe I am of A Small Victory...I think it is an incredibly wonderful idea that touches my heart so deeply, I'm moved to tears. -LS

I wanted to write you personally and thank you for starting such a wonderful organization."Sadly, your orginization was made known to me after learning that the baby I was carrying had died at 16 weeks into the pregnancy. Seeing the tiny boy wrapped in a blanket, being able to see him was very healing to me. You have made a painful experience a little more bearable. -Washington

I want to applaud your "A Small Victory" project. What a meaningful way to honor your little Janell. It requires a generous spirit to be able to give to others as a response to personal loss. Thank you. -Washington

I cant thank you enough for taking the time out of your schedule to bring my family a Loss Kit. That meant so much to me. I know you know what its like to loose your little one, and to do what you have done is absolutely amazing. I just feel so lost and broken right now that having someone like you to do what you do makes me see hope for the future. I just wanted to give you my thanks for everything -Washington

I just wanted to thank you again for the website and your kind words.

I got my Loss Kit in the mail Friday. It’s so nice..that A Small Victory does this. They sent me a lot of books about coping with the grief. I was surprised when I saw how much was sent to me. The lady who runs it, Liz is very kind too. She told me i can email her anytime and with the kit she included a hand written card. I was very touched by her kindness, and by the volunteers who take time to try to comfort those who have had a loss. It’s a very great thing that they do.

I took a look at your website asmallvictory.org and want to tell you how wonderful and inspiring it is. I only wish the hospital I delivered at had something like this. I’d love something like this in my area to assist other mothers like us.

I received the kit today. Thank you, thank you. I cannot even begin to say how overwhelmed I am that a stranger would do this for me, right down to the handwritten note. You thought of everything!
God bless you for doing this healing ministry. You are wonderful. -Indiana

Your doing such good things and I just wanted to tell you how much I was touched by your story and your mission. Janell must be smiling in heaven - so proud of her mommy!

All that I can say is WOW. That is a wonderful thing that you do. -Georgia

This organization provided us with a "Loss Kit" while I was in the hospital delivering our son. They helped guide us through the loss of our beautiful son and enabled us to create memories with him that we otherwise wouldn't have been able to do. We are very thankful that we had this and hope that other families that lose a baby will also be able to to get these "loss kits" to help then create and preserve memories with what little time we have with our babies. -New York

I think this is an amazing, but often overlooked, cause. So many of us don't want to think of our lives being touched by tragedy, but it's thanks to people like this who help ease the pain when it happens. A Small Victory is able to touch peoples lives and hearts in a way that many can not. -Washington

A Small Victory is doing amazing work! Without organizations like them books and publications would not reach the hands of the families who so need the resources. As a bereaved mother myself, I'm glad to know A Small Victory is out there supporting other parents like me, so that none of us are alone. Many thanks to all involved! -Washington

A Small Victory needs funding to provide support to grieving families. This is an area that doesn't get a lot of attention, but is definitely needed and worthwhile. -Washington

A Small Victory is a beautiful organization that meets a need of families that are often overlooked and in so much need of compassionate support. The gift of A Small Victory is something that can't really be put into words, but parents who have been there can really understand. A Small Victory is a very worthy cause and is so necessary. -Illinois

Thank you. I've been poking around on your site and its links for almost 3 hours. It is just what I needed. My daughter was born and died this winter. Still fresh, still learning how to live with the loss, or even how to talk about it without freaking people out.
I am unable to give money at this time, but would like to contribute in someway in the future. Our hospital was really good about doing footprints and photos for us, so I understand the value of what you do.
I also want to commend you on the gorgeous logo and remarkably hip site. I deeply appreciate the spiritual ambiguity. I don't really think of my daughter as an angel, though her brief life was full of grace and mystery and I feel my own spirit has grown in knowing her. -Washington

This is a great project that we truly stand behind. By providing these kits to local hospitals, A Small Victory helps to ease the pain of losing a child. -Oregon

A Small Victory is a noble cause born out tragedy. Losing two children myself, I understand the need for such an organization. I just wish that all facilities had such a program for grieving parents. With added support, maybe A Small Victory will be nation wide. I love this organization and support it 100%. -Oklahoma

I know from my own experiences the need to be able to memorialize a loved one who has passed on, and the healing power of having something tangible to hold on to when all hope has been lost. I feel the mission of A Small Victory is very worthy, and needed, and the benefits are priceless to the families they serve. -Washington

A Small Victory was there for our family at a time when we had no idea how to deal with the loss of our precious, new family member. Without the kit, we would not have been able to preserve some of the things like the little foot impressions. And having the additional resources to help us get through the grieving process in a healthy way, has meant so much to us. THANK YOU to A SMALL VICTORY. -Washington

My wife and I just had a stillbirth and received one of your Loss Kits with all the wonderful things that made our time at the hospital better. We both want to thank you so much. Thanks again for everything you have done for us and for all of the other people you have helped. -Washington

When I was admitted to the hospital to be induced the deliver our beautiful son, we were given the Loss Kits that you provided. I want to thank you so much for making those Kits. It really helped prepare us for what lay ahead (and what still lies ahead) and also helped us create lasting memories with our son with what little time we had with him. We used everything you provided in the kit and just want you to know how important those kits are. -New York