As we navigate life, we expect to lose loved ones along the way but nothing prepares us for the loss of a child. It’s a heartbreak no parent should ever have to face: not just losing a child, but being the one to bury them. In the aftermath, we are left with endless questions. What could I have done differently? Was there something I missed?

Grief is not linear. We experience denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance but rarely in that order. Some days we feel like we’re surviving. Other days, not so much. As time passes—months, years even—we look back and wonder: How did I get through it all? Every second, every hour... somehow, we kept going.

That’s when we begin to think about our support systems. In moments of crisis, especially in hospital rooms filled with uncertainty, did we have someone t ...