The nonprofit is dedicated to providing resources and support for families in the Dallas-Fort Worth area who have experienced child loss through events, fundraisers and donations.
“I started with Lambie’s Love because I wanted to leave things better than how you found it,” Rose said. “Bereavement and infant loss is not a very sparkly subject and topic that people are comfortable with asking questions about or looking into.”
When Rose lost her daughter, she found comfort in the gifts that were given to her that connected her with Katherine. One such gift was two stuffed lambs.
“Having a matching pair set allowed me to leave one with Katherine, ensuring she wasn’t alone, and take the other home with me, keeping her close to my heart,” Rose said. “I vividly recall holding, cuddling and shedding tears with my stuffed animal, which I named Lambie.”
The impact
Lambie’s Love donates seven bereavement boxes a month to Dallas-Fort Worth-based neonatal intensive care units where the child was born and dedicates every donation to an existing family of loss to honor their child. Those families are invited to drop off the donations at the hospital and receive a certificate in remembrance of their little one.
“As time goes on, people stop checking in,” Rose said. “They think that grief magically goes away or they stop asking about their children. And so we wanted to be able to let existing families of loss know that [their] child is not forgotten.”
Bereavement boxes were donated in February to honor Sofía Rose Evans, Nicole and Bobby Evans’ daughter who passed away five years ago, Nicole Evans said.
“It makes my mama heart smile knowing that fellow parents that will unfortunately walk a similar path will have this loving gift of support waiting for them to comfort them as they leave the hospital without their child,” Nicole Evans said.
“Heavenly birthday anniversaries are always tough. But this year my heart feels less heavy since Lambie’s Love [donated] boxes in my daughter’s name on her birthday in her own NICU.”
The details
Rose donates two girl boxes, two boy boxes, two gender neutral emergency boxes and one box for twins. Each box includes:
- Two stuffed animals
- A baby dedication book
- An adult self-help book
- A pocket token
- A heartfelt letter
- A baby blanket
The boxes also include free resources for families to use, including Angel Gowns and Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep photography.
Angel Gowns provides a custom made gown for final photos and burial services. Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep photography gives families an intimate portrait session with their infant.
“So many other parents will tell you... that is one of the greatest gifts in the world, to have these beautiful photos of your child,” Rose said.
How to help
To support Lambie’s Love, people can donate funds or purchase an item off the organization’s Amazon wishlist for bereavement boxes.
Lambie’s Love also accepts donations like gift cards and food, which is given to families and medical professionals in the NICU.
“We are still parents,” she added. “Our parenting might just look different then the traditional way but we are absolutely parents and our children will always be our children and that love we share is unbreakable and undeniable and transcends anything.”
