Our bereavement care team is 100% volunteer and consists of big-hearted individuals of all backgrounds seeking to support the needs of families in our community walking the journey of pregnancy and infant loss. Many of them have been touched either personally or professionally by loss. Read more about our team below!
Desiree Miller
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Photographer & Co-Founder
Desiree has served more than 250 families bedside to provide the gift of infant portraiture and memory-making as a Certified Bereavement Doula through Three Little Birds' Bedside Bereavement Program and served as a support group facilitator. She is also a founding member of Three Little Birds.
Brent Samuelson
Bereavement Photographer/Loss Parent
Brent cofounded Three Little Birds with his wife in memory of his daughters. He supports the nest as an Advisor to the Board and volunteers his time as a photographer/advocate through our Bedside Bereavement Program. He has supported more than 100 families through capturing special moments of memory making and bonding. Additionally, he supports the dads in our nest at events and through our services and programs.
Roseanne Bolger
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Loss Parent/Professional Photographer
Roseanne supports our families and events as a bereavement doula and photographer. For the past three years, she has captured our fundraising and awareness events as well as served as producer of Three Little Bird's Perinatal Bereavement Training Workshop's five weeks of virtual content. She joined Three Little Birds to volunteer in memory of her daughter, Tela Clementine.
Glenda Barachko
Licensed Sonographer/Program Sponsor
Glenda supports Three Little Birds' Palliative Care and Pregnancy After Loss Support Programs through her elective 3D/4D ultrasound studio in Pitman, NJ. Additionally, Glenda has served as an executive-level volunteer supporting events as well as supporting the development of our bereavement training program for sonographers/ultrasound technicians.
Caitlyn Rankel
Certified Volunteer Bereavement/Professional Birth Doula and Photographer/Loss Parent
Caitlyn joined the nest through our advocate training program, but has professional experience as a birth doula. Between her experience as a birth worker and personal experience with perinatal loss, she hopes to support families in the nest and the healthcare system in normalizing loss and the grief process behind it. She is committed to working with Three Little Birds to bridge the gap between healthcare and humanity when it comes to supporting mothers experiencing the loss of their baby.
Melissa Wiltsey
Certified Volunteer Bereavement/Full Spectrum Birth Doula/Loss Parent
Melissa is a full spectrum doula, cache certified newborn care spcialist and local post-partum care provider. Serving the local community is important to her as a loss mama. As a Three Little Birds Certified Bereavement Doula, Melissa will learn, empower, encourage and advocate for local loss families bedside in addition to expanding our training program.
Brooke Koines
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Loss Parent/Legacy Project - Xander's Nursery
Brooke was supported by Three Little Birds through various support and fundraising events after experiencing the loss of her son Xander at 24 weeks. She now supports other families in the nest by facilitating our monthly Craft & Heal support groups through her legacy project, Xander's Nursery. Additionally, she goes bedside to give the gift of infant remembrance portraiture. She is also interested in developing support specific to sibling loss. Read more about Brooke's journey here.
Ashly Hannah
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Loss Parent/Legacy Project - Aubree's Adventures
Ashly found Three Little Birds after being dissatisfied with the support groups provided through healthcare systems. Since joining the nest and becoming a Certified Bereavement Doula, she is launching a legacy project in memory of her daughter who was stillborn, called Aubree's Adventures, to give families a social outlet with others walking a similar journey. In addition to going bedside, she is assiting with the development and facilitation of our Pregnancy After Loss Mentorship Program. Read more about Ashly's journey here.
Dominique Jimenez
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Loss Parent/Legacy Project - Grey Skies
Dominique first learned of Three Little Birds bedside after delivering her son Luca Grey, who was stillborn. Since his passing, she has found healing and empowerment in supporting others walking similar journeys through her advocacy training and attending our monthly support groups. In addition to now being the advocate that goes bedside to support families like hers, she is also supporting the development of our disposition preferred provider program to help offset unexpected financial burdens for others. Read more about Dominique's journey here.
Kanei Green-Scott
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Licensed Practical Nurse/Child Life Counselor
Kanei is committed to all things women's health related and wants to use her new certification as a bereavement doula to educate others in the classroom, the workplace and through various encounters. As a nurse, she will also focus on providing compassion and empathy while creating standard practices for perinatal bereavement care in the workplace. Kanei will support our families bedside through our training workshop and give the gift of validation and memory through infant remembrance portraiture. Read more about Kanei's journey here.
Kristann Dolinsky
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula
Loss Parent/Professional Photographer
Kristann is a professional photographer who is finding healing in her own loss experience by becoming a trained advocate with Three Little Birds. She will use her talents to go bedside and give families the gift of infant remembrance portraiture in honor of her twins who were full term losses. Additionally, Kristann will help advance the mission of the organization through supporting events, services and programs.
Marci Bienkowski
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Loss Parent/Professional Physical Therapist
Marci completed our Advocate Training Program with the intention of helping others walking similar journeys of receiving a life limiting or uncertain fetal diagnosis. She is a professional physical therapist seeking to help families pregnant after loss. To honor her daughter Hope's birthday, Marci fundraisers to purchase grief support books. Thanks to Marci and Hope, Three Little Birds had copies to give to attendees at our Open House! Read more about Marci's journey here.
Sara Shepherd
Certified Volunteer Bereavement Doula/Loss Parent
Sara found Three Little Birds through a friend after the loss of her son Oliver, and has since found a path to advocacy by supporting others. As a certified bereavement doula, she will support the organization with support inquiries, virtual and in-person support group facilitation and more! She is specifically interested in helping us diversify our support offerings to be sure everyone in our community is represented.
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Erin Epstein
Support Group Facilitator, Infertility & Loss
Erin became involved in the nest after losing her twins, Dylan Charles and Madelyn Joy after years of struggling with infertility. In 2023, Erin began her journey in advocacy with Three Little Birds by launching our Infertility & Loss Support group which meets both virtually and in-person monthly. Additionally, she works as an Ambassador for the nest in strengthening our connection with other non-profits in the region with shared missions supporting the family building community.