Life is but a vapor…

How the Angel Babies Matter Network became a thing!

My name is Danielle and I would like to personally introduce myself and thank you for visiting the Angel Babies Matter Network website. I was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. I graduated from a Catholic all-girl high school and completed my undergraduate degree in Atlanta, Georgia. Post Hurricane Katrina and graduation, I moved to Houston, Texas with my family where I met my husband.  I became an educator, working professional, small business owner, and then a wife! In a new city, I made connections with wives of my husband’s friends, our neighbors, ladies at work, at church, through a book club, volunteering, and my early morning fit crew at the gym, all inspirational women of whom I grew to love for different reasons. Life was really great when I learned I would soon be a first time Mom.

In 2013 I had my first baby girl Angel, she was stillborn. In 2014 I had a live birth, my son Isaiah and we waited about 5 years, thinking we were in the clear, to have our second daughter, Imani who was also stillborn. After my losses, those wonderful ladies I mentioned earlier, reached out to me privately. These were women in different circles, who I never knew experienced what I thought to be the most isolating grief. They shared stories about their Angel Babies who matter hence the unofficial Angel Babies Matter Network began.  

Angel Moms, I just want you to know that at the Angel Babies Matter Network, we see you, we acknowledge your pain, your grief, your journey, and we remember your baby. Your baby matters to you and most certainly your baby matters to us! I want Angel Moms to experience that same outpouring of love that my husband and I received. I want to raise awareness that pregnancy loss is not just a pregnancy that goes away. The pain certainly does not just disappear. In fact, the pain lingers. It has been almost ten years since I lost my first baby girl and I think of her every single day. I struggled with even forming a network as some days I still grieve and I just want to be alone at times.

It doesn’t make a difference if the loss was in a mom’s first, second or third trimester because moms are already in love with their growing baby and oftentimes suffer silently through a grief so thick. Many Angel Moms continue to experience heartache after learning of their loss by having to give birth or have a medical procedure, then cremation or burial,  followed by a lifetime of mental health hurdles even after all medical procedures have ended. About 1 in 4 women suffer loss each year. 

Angel Babies Matter Network provides comfort to moms of Angel Babies – Babies who were lost tragically from miscarriage, stillbirth and neo-natal death and advocate for pregnancy loss awareness and infant loss awareness. We support moms who know what it’s like to leave a hospital without the baby in tow. We support moms who were hoping to watch over a new baby but now have an Angel watching over her. We support moms who are forever crushed for all of the missed moments to come. We are here for Dads and children who had to say goodbye before ever saying hello to the newest member of the family and who are not only grieving themselves but having to be strong and support Mom too.

Did you know to honor women who suffer miscarriage, stillbirth and neonatal death, President Ronald Reagan declared October as National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month in 1988 and designated October 15th as Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day?

I want our network to raise awareness that over 24,000 babies are stillborn each year. Black and Native American families experience stillbirth 2xs the rate of other families.

I want us to honor Angel Moms EVERYDAY! It is my goal to share information, to unite women who have lost, provide resources and support for grieving moms and families and acknowledge our Angel Babies who Matter!

Love always your sister,

Danielle Saizan Houston