Bedside Bereavement Program

No parent ever imagines hearing the words: “I’m sorry, there is no heartbeat” or “I’m sorry, but we need to make life-or-death decisions after the birth of your baby.”

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Sadly, this is the reality for 1 in 4 parents on their family-building journey. Three Little Birds was founded to walk alongside families and providers during these unimaginable moments—helping them create meaningful memories, make informed choices, and find support in the days and years ahead.

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Since 2016, our volunteers have supported more than 450 providers and families by:

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• Advocating bedside during loss and NICU end-of-life care

• Helping navigate difficult conversations

• Honoring cultural, spiritual, and personal diversity

• Providing memory-making and infant remembrance portraiture

 

How the Program Works

For Providers - We encourage providers to contact us as soon as possible when a family is experiencing or anticipating a loss—even if options haven’t yet been presented to the family.

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📞 Call/Text: 856-656-6436
📝 Click here to submit a request online

• Our team is available 7 AM–10 PM daily

• We create a 48–72 hour availability window for our volunteers

• Early notice increases the likelihood an advocate can be dispatched

 

At the Bedside:
A trained volunteer will arrive to support both the family and provider by:

• Meeting parents where they are emotionally

• Listening and validating their experience

• Offering resources and memory-making options

• Supporting families’ choices—whatever they decide

 

What Families Receive

• Compassion and validation from someone who “gets it” and has walked this path

• Infant Remembrance Portraiture (up to 30 gently edited photos capturing baby, memory-making, and family bonding)

• A Maria Rosa Memory Kit (available at Cooper University Hospital & St. Christopher’s Hospital), including bathing/grooming items, a children’s book, and hand/footprint materials

• Updated resources and memory-making guides with QR codes linking to financial assistance, support groups, and recommended reading (available in English, Spanish, Haitian Creole, Portuguese, French, and Russian)

• Access to our Postpartum Support Program (licensed mental health providers, postpartum specialists, and peer matching)

• Connection to our nest of support across the Philadelphia/South Jersey region

 

Current Partner Hospitals

Cooper University Hospital – Camden, NJ
Since 2016, we have supported more than 80 families experiencing stillbirth or NICU infant loss. With funding from the Horizon Foundation for NJ (2024), our expanded program now includes:

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• Support for up to 30 families per year

• Updated resources and training for providers

• Assistance with compliance for the Autumn Joy Stillbirth Research and Dignity Act

 

St. Christopher’s Hospital – Philadelphia, PA
Launched in 2024 in collaboration with Maria Rosa’s Memories, a legacy project created in honor of Jacqueline Russo’s niece (stillborn Thanksgiving 2023). This partnership provides memory-making kits to NICU families, ensuring they have the tools needed to create keepsakes during their limited time together.

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Jefferson Hospital – Washington Township, NJ
Since 2017, we’ve supported more than 45 families and donated over $1,200 in bereavement items. Jefferson has co-hosted multiple Wave of Light events and, in 2021, received a Cuddle Cot and complimentary Perinatal Bereavement Training for staff.

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Jefferson Hospital – Philadelphia, PA
Since our founding, we’ve responded to a dozen bedside support requests. In 2025, we begin formal collaboration with Jefferson’s bereavement committee to ensure equitable access to remembrance photography, multilingual resources, and provider education.

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Other Hospitals Supported

(When volunteers are available and families request support)

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• Virtua Health, Voorhees, NJ

• Inspira Health, Vineland, NJ

• Inspira Health, Mullica Hill, NJ

• AtlantiCare, Pomona, NJ

• Penn Medicine, Philadelphia, PA

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Our Impact

"Thank you to Three Little Birds for making an impossible situation seem manageable. From the photographer who walked us through creating moments with our son, to the editor that made sure we looked our best; you helped make this all a little easier. To hear the photographer talking to our baby and complimenting him, while it is something seemingly small, it made a difference to us. The stigma around this whole process makes things so much harder and to have a piece of normal around his delivery helped us so much." -Baby Vince’s Mom

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"I thank three little birds from the bottom of my heart. I thank them for the pictures and memories I hold so close to me of my beautiful Nola girl. The support from these people keep me moving!" - Baby Nola's Mom

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"There aren’t enough words to describe how amazing Three Little Birds is! The work they do is invaluable. At the very worst time in a families life, they come in and they help. They care. They commiserate. They put the needs of the people they serve first, which is incredibly hard when you think about the clientele they serve- people who had lost wanted pregnancies, suffered a pregnancy loss or stillbirth or somebody like me who very suddenly had their child die. They are incredible." - Baby Madelyn's Mom