The Community Foundation of West Tennessee donated 100 heartbeat bears to West Tennessee Women’s Center at Jackson-Madison County General Hospital as a part of the Butterfly’s Embrace program.

The Community Foundation learned about the need for this program during its grant cycle for 100 Women Who Care: West Tennessee in January 2024. Butterfly’s Embrace submitted a proposal to be considered for the grant and explained the impact of heartbeat bears.

“Because one in four pregnancies end in a loss, our mission is to identify these families and care for them wherever they are in their grief,” said Tammy Hardee, RN, Certified Perinatal Bereavement Counselor. “Our bereavement team can utilize the heartbeat bear to provide a bit of tangible comfort for some of these families.”

A nurse captures the sound of the baby's heartbeat and records it on a device. Itis then placed inside of one of the stuffed animals and given to the family.

“Moms find great comfort in hearing their baby's heartbeat in the face of this devastating news. It can also be used to share with the baby's siblings at home who are expecting a new baby brother or sister,” said Hardee.

Butterfly’s Embrace was established in 2015 as a program of the West Tennessee Women’s Center and serves families who experience the loss of a baby.

“As someone who has personally seen family and friends deal with the loss of a baby, I am grateful we are able to provide a token of comfort for some of these families,” said Beth Koffman, Chief Operating Officer for the Community Foundation. “Providing support to programs like Butterfly’s Embrace reminds us of the different ways we can strengthen the health and well-being of our community.”