SILAS Program At Hillcrest Providing Care For Families Facing Infant Loss

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month. A program at Hillcrest Medical Center supports families with terminally ill newborns and helps parents cope with their loss.

Alan and Daniela Kline were excited when they learned Daniela was pregnant with not one, but two boys.

"We found out really early, at like seven weeks, that it was twins. We were of course shocked and excited."

But as Daniela's pregnancy progressed, their doctors realized something was wrong.

"They weren't sharing blood equally and there was a threat that one or both could be really really harmed," said Daniela.

At 24 weeks, she was hospitalized and learned her sons wouldn't survive.

"They were both born on July 19th and Pax died an hour after he was born, and Jude was in the NICU for nine days and passed after nine days of life."

It was unimaginably hard, but Stephanie Carner and the SILAS program team at Hillcrest Medical Center were there to offer not only care but comfort. 

"There's all kinds of things that go into that care that you don't necessarily think about until you are in that moment," she said.

The program helps families through these tragedies by anticipating their needs, so when the baby does arrive, the focus is solely on the family being able to spend quality time together.

"What we don't want is to bombard her as she's having to grieve a loss and being overwhelmed by emotion and the experience of delivering a baby anyway," said Stephanie.

Alan and Daniela felt supported by the team of doctors and nurses. To show their support for the program, they donated a reclining chair in honor of Pax and Jude.

"The fact that there was a team with resources that was able to take care of us in a moment where a bomb just went off in our life was so meaningful. It was things that we would have never thought to prepare for, like getting their footprints or a clay mold of their feet. These are all things that helped us to mourn and to grieve, and that we get to be there for other families that go through this—even in a small way, it gives meaning to our story and honors Jude and Pax well."