By Liz Yates—
MUNCIE, IN—Leah’s Love is a Muncie- based non-profit that seeks to connect with grieving parents experiencing the loss of a child. They do this through the gifting of Leah’s Love boxes. These boxes contain books that have been handpicked by the founders of the group, Mandi (Leah’s mother) and Sue (Leah’s maternal grandmother) as well as other self-care products such as eye masks, grief coloring books and pencils, inspirational bookmarks, Forget-Me-Not seeds, tissues, journals, and bath bombs.
Perhaps most importantly, they contain a handwritten letter from Mandi that serves to remind the grieving parents that they are NOT alone and that someone right in their very community understands the very personal grief they are going through.
The Story of Leah’s Love
Leah was born in October of 2016. Just 7 short months later, in May of 2017, this perfectly healthy, happy baby girl was taken from her family.
As her family left IU Health Ball Memorial Hospital that day without the baby girl they came in with, they couldn’t help but feel empty. While the care they received at the hospital was incredibly helpful, they no longer knew where to turn to for help and support.
A few weeks later, Mandi received a box from a friend—a comfort box filled with small items hand picked to help bring Mandi some small happiness. Also enclosed in the box was a brief note from a mom who had also lost a child. This was the connection that Mandi needed as she finally felt that someone truly understood what she was going through.
Instead of asking why Leah was taken from them so young, Leah’s family decided to turn their pain into a real purpose—the purpose of honoring Leah by blessing others through these comfort boxes.
IU Health is excited to partner with Leah’s Love to help close the gap between the care we can provide while a patient is in our care, and the care that is needed after that individual returns home.
For more information please visit Leah’s Love on Facebook. https://www.facebook.com/leahsloveboxes