Today we’d like to introduce you to Kierra Taplin.
Kierra, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
After returning home from our dream honeymoon, my husband and I were ecstatic to learn that I was pregnant. It appeared to be the perfect start to our life of wedded bliss. I shared our good news with anyone who would listen. It was a fairytale come true and I immediately dreamed of what my life would be as a new mommy. My dream became a nightmare when at 26 weeks pregnant, my baby’s diminishing heart rate lead to my being rushed into the operating room to undergo an emergency cesarean section. On July 5, 2006, weighing a tiny 14 ounces, our son Colby Julian was born. My heart still races at how quickly everything happened.
Although premature, he was a fighter. He exceeded the doctors 3-day prognosis and lived 7 full days. Feeling the wind of his last breath on my cheek changed my life forever. Never in a million years did I imagine that I would have to bury my baby. I assumed that my NICU visit would end with me leaving the hospital with my baby swaddled in a fluffy blanket. Instead, I left with empty arms and a folder with his memories stuffed in my purse.
When I left that hospital, I was clueless about what to do next. I called the insurance company for direction and received nothing. I contacted the hospital for guidance and was told to look in the yellow pages for assistance. I was devastated by my son’s death and felt abandoned when faced with what to do next. I remember feeling alone, hopeless and in many ways worthless. A family friend eventually guided us through the burial process, but the entire ordeal was horrific.
As the years went on and I began to meet more women who had experienced infant death, I noticed a reoccurring gap in our maternal care. I wasn’t the only mom who didn’t know what to do next – there was an entire community of us. So, in 2012, I founded Healing Footprints Foundation, a nonprofit that supports families who have experienced infant death by providing compassionate guidance, burial assistance, headstone purchases, and grief services. My goal is to be a grieving family’s “yellow pages”. They should never have to feel the callousness that I experienced when seeking help. Our services bring honor and dignity to the bereavement process.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
This road has been filled with peaks and valleys. My husband and I had to fight to heal the wound that our son’s death left on our marriage. I’m grateful that we didn’t succumb to the threats of divorce that so many couples experience after infant loss. It is extremely hard to navigate a relationship when your heart has been ripped into pieces. We all process grief differently. However, surviving infant death requires a lifelong commitment to healing. Every day, I’m healing. We’re healing.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Healing Footprints Foundation – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
Healing Footprints Foundation supports families whose baby was born alive and passed away within the first year. We work directly with funeral home directors and provide financial assistance for infant burial services. We purchase headstones for unmarked infant graves. We collaborate with other organizations to provide angel gowns for burials. And we provide ongoing grief counseling.
I host an annual Big Hats & Bow Ties Brunch fundraiser to help raise funds to support our families. This annual brunch has become our signature event and it’s steadily growing. I’m honored to have created a space that is fun, entertaining and full of joy as we honor one of life’s most tragic realities.
I am most proud of the relationship that I’ve created with many of the moms that we serve. Grief isn’t linear; you can be up today and deep in depression tomorrow. For this reason, I am very protective of our families and their healing journey. I have supported moms as they go on to experience new marriages, divorce, new babies and extended fertility issues. I’m always thrilled to share their milestones. Our organization operates as a family and that makes me proud.
I think my light sets me apart. When I started the organization, I was afraid of spending my life committed to doom and gloom. But I soon realized that I brought a bright light to this dark space of grief. I have a light that only God can give me. It is a light that comes from a place of surrender and personal healing. I bring laughter and joy. And most of all, I offer families hope! They need someone who is present when the world moves on. I honor their baby’s birthday and remember them on Mother’s Day. I am a footprint to ensure that the world never forgets that their baby was here. I coach our families and encourage them to survive and thrive. And if all else fails, I can give thee.best.hug.ever!
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Well… first, I plan to enjoy every second of motherhood! It took us almost seven years to conceive after our son’s death, but I now have a 6-year-old son, Keegan, who is the joy of my life!
I’m excited about a new program that we’re developing for young mothers. I’ve noticed some trends with the mothers that we serve and I’m creating a space to address those trends. And since Metro Atlanta has an infant mortality rate and teen pregnancy rate that remains above the national average, my local community is the perfect place to launch our program.
I’m equally excited to be on a new podcast coming this Fall to Survival Radio Network called “Good Grief, Girl!” It’s a wellness show that I’m co-hosting with one of my dear friends who is trailblazing the grief community as well. We will use a girl talk format to reframe the grief narrative by acknowledging that grief is experienced after the loss of life, love, relationships, careers, hopes, and dreams. We’ll discuss the parallels and offer healthy ways of coping. I think it will be a very enlightening and informative show. It’s definitely necessary.
I am always looking for creative ways to encourage people to confront their grief and enter a journey of healing. It’s hard work, but there’s joy in healing!
I am continuously growing and glowing!
Contact Info:
- Website: healingfootprints.com
- Phone: 404-520-7519
- Email: info@healingfootprints.com
- Instagram: kierrasunae
- Facebook: healingfootprintsfoundation
Image Credit:
Flatline Cinema, LKP Studio
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
