Our son, Braden, was stillborn on December 16, 2016. Braden passed away unexpectedly, after a beautiful, healthy and complication-free pregnancy, due to an umbilical cord accident. Although saying goodbye and not having him with us is incredibly difficult, continuing to love him is easy. We will love and honor our precious B for the rest of our lives. Some ways in which we honor Braden are through the Braden Jackman Classic Softball Tournament, Braden's Garden, and Braden's blanket and book donations.

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We are forever grateful for the care and support we received at South Shore Hospital in Weymouth Ma and are working to ensure that other local families impacted by pregnancy and infant loss have the same resources available to them. Unfortunately, stillbirth affects 1 in 160 pregnancies and approximately 26,000 stillbirths occur in the US each year. By partnering with Stories of Babies Born Still (SOBBS), the US Cooperative Caring Campaign Initiative, and maternity units of local hospitals, we will be able to support families as they grapple with intense trauma and loss.

 

Proceeds raised through the Braden Patrick Jackman Fund directly support the purchase of Cuddle Cots for the maternity units of nearby hospitals. A Cuddle Cot is a cooling device placed in a bassinet to preserve the body, giving families more time with their babies before they have to say goodbye. Having a Cuddle Cot available within maternity units allows for precious hours for bonding, pictures, religious ceremonies, and has been shown to positively impact parents' healing. The time we were able to have with Braden, because of a donated Cuddle Cot, means the world to us and we hope that all other families enduring the hardest of goodbyes would also have this option. Each year we plan to partner with additional local hospitals so that, eventually, every hospital in Massachusetts is better equipped to support bereaved families experiencing the devastating loss of their infant. 

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Meghan & Kristen Jackman