In 2011 a group of parents of identical twins banded together, united in the grief over the death of their child(ren) due to Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome (TTTS).
These grieving parents had firsthand knowledge of the dark, desperate, isolating and confusing days and months after the death of a baby.
The TTTS Support Team was born out of their collective desire to help other parents who had experienced the same pain.
In 2012, the TTTS Support Team started sending out grief packages to any TTTS loss parent requesting one. This service was offered as a gift of love and connection from the heart of the parent who sent the package to the heart of the parent receiving it.
Items included in the packages are ones that pamper a mom. Items like warm fuzzy socks, lotions, candles, nail care, eye covers, the Sunshine After the Storm book, journals, picture frames with the child(ren)’s name, and other pretty charms and tokens of remembrance.
No two packages are the same. Every package is a labor of love put together and paid for by the package sender along with some donated items. The goal is for anyone to be able to receive a package regardless of her location. In order to cut down on shipping costs, members have been recruited from all over the globe including Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom.
As you can imagine the packages make a big difference in the lives of the recipients. Here’s what one loss mom had to say after receiving her package from the TTTS Support Team:
I received the loss care package shortly after I lost one of our twins. Meanwhile our surviving twin was fighting for her life in the NICU after being born extremely premature at 25 weeks. Our family was displaced, as the hospital was an hour away, our grief ran high and our fear of the unknown was consuming. So you can imagine how welcome and meaningful the package was when I received it right in the midst of our storm. It felt like breathe of fresh air – a piece of hope in a box. It was so nice to receive a personal gift from someone who had walked in my shoes. It was nice to not feel so alone. It contained gifts for me and my husband, our angel and our survivor. It was so thoughtful and treasured. Thank you for providing this service to grieving parents. Those acts of kindness stay with a person forever! ~ Lindsey Whitaker, California
Since the first package was sent in 2012, the TTTS Support Team has sent over 200 packages worldwide, along with hundreds of Mother’s Day and winter holiday cards. The team has grown to include 49 parents and donations from Teeny Tears and Angel Outfitters.
The TTTS Support Team was able to become an official nonprofit organization through last year’s donations. Today, they are asking for additional support in order to continue sending out their care packages, cards and informational pamphlets to loss parents around the globe. The team has also joined forces with the Fetal Health Foundation to offer help, support and accurate medical information to those families still fighting TTTS.
If you are interested in supporting the TTTS Support Team so they may continue to send packages and provide much-needed information about TTTS, here are a few ways you can contribute:
- Donate to the TTTS Support Team Go Fund Me Page
- Purchase a Bravelet bracelet
- Make a purchase at Alexa’s Jamberry Nail fundraiser
- Join the TTTS Support Team Fundraiser event page and bid on auction items throughout the month
- Help spread the word about the TTTS Support Team by sharing this post!
Do you know someone who would benefit from a package from the TTTS Support Team?
Each Friday, the another jennifer blog shares stories of those who incorporate philanthropy into their everyday lives – personally and professionally – in a creative and unique way. If you have a story you’d like to share, please contact Jennifer. Read past stories here.
