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Share Ambassador

Kathie & Rich Meyer

Nine years ago, May 6th, 1997, the day began with so much promise. The 9 months of waiting for the birth of my son Preston had arrived. My husband, Preston’s big brother and I were so excited to receive him into our family. We were unaware that my newborn son had a dire health condition lurking in the shadows. The team of doctors and nurses that were assembled to intervene concluded that Preston’s condition was “incompatible with life.” Later that same day, my husband and I were faced with the incomprehensible burden of the decision to remove life support. Encircled by family and friends, as Preston lay in my arms, we watched the end descend.

Forever lost I thought I was. Never again would I find my way. I’m that mother whose cup overflowed, whose life was so burdened, whose heart felt so cumbrous, whose soul seemed abandoned, not so long ago. Torn about was my inner being. My soul and spirit needed reunification. So often when I felt these emotions conflicting, I became aware that I must achieve an introspective confrontation. So that I’d bring forth the understanding, the realization that the healing message did exist. Unbeknownst to me before this tragedy, the healing message existed through an organization named Share. Through Share, the anguish of loss became a grief journey of love and hope.

My experience with Share began as a regular support group member who utilized the lending library and telephone support offered by more experienced members. I became more involved when I began speaking at support group meetings and provided telephone support to newer members. I became a group facilitator then founded a new Share group. Next, I represented Share as a speaker at a National conference for Parental Bereavement support. Followed by extensive training provided by Share, I became one of the first clinical care companions assigned to St. Joseph West Hospital. Subsequently, I entered an accelerated Bachelor Science Nursing program in which I minored in a psychology program focused on bereavement. For my BSN senior thesis paper, I co-authored an evidence-based literature review research article that defines “Parental Bereavement related to Perinatal, Neonatal and Infant Loss as a Vulnerable Population.” While pursuing a BSN and psychology minor, in a 2-year span, I concurrently obtained a certificate in gerontology and an MBA with a management focus. Currently, I’m employed as a health care professional and am pursuing an accelerated BSN to PhD curriculum with the goal of conducting evidence-based nursing/medical research.

While all of the above events were occurring, I started the Preston Meyer Charitable Foundation. The literature review article that I co-wrote clearly identified the bedside obstetrical health care provider as the primary prevention point in the health care delivery system that when educated to do so can deter the complications and sequelae of traumatic grief. As executive director of the Preston Meyer Charitable Foundation, I’ve partnered with Share to present these research article findings and to develop a health care professional education program that will begin offering sessions this summer 2006.

Since that tragic day, I’ve authored some twenty-odd poems that delineated the healing milestones and charted the navigational course of my grief voyage. Three of these poems are the lyrics for professionally recorded songs whose music was written by my friend, a classically trained pianist and composer, Janet Ramey. The songs, Preston’s Lullaby, The Presence of Light and Wandering Angel, have been sung at Share’s Holiday Remembrance and Angel of Hope services. The Preston Meyer Charitable Foundation website offers as support to bereaved parents, access to the songs and poems through the link www.prestonmeyerfoundation.com . None of this would have occurred, if it were not for the bereavement support offered by Share, and the encouragement offered by Cathi Lammert, to whom I am eternally grateful.