Angel Babies Matter Network Founder Danielle Houston Speaks at Houston Methodist Woodlands Remembrance Service

Houston, TX  

Houston Methodist Woodlands hosted its annual Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Remembrance Ceremony this October, a powerful event that brought together grieving families, healthcare professionals, and community members to honor the memory of babies lost too soon. Danielle Saizan Houston, founder of Angel Babies Matter Network, served as a guest speaker, sharing her deeply personal story of loss and calling for greater support for grieving mothers.

As part of Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, the remembrance ceremony featured opening remarks by Elizabeth Barnett, Director of the Childbirth Center, and a welcome from Chaplain Demetrea Williams. Attendees also heard from Brittany Kemp and Hollyn Keith of Mothers of Held Angels (MOHA), a nonprofit that partners with Houston Methodist to support families who have experienced infant loss. Both speakers shared their organization’s mission and personal experiences, providing hope and empathy to those in attendance.

Danielle Houston took the stage with a moving and powerful speech, asking attendees to imagine the joy of hearing their baby’s heartbeat for the first time, only to later experience the devastating reality of loss. “This is what 24,000 mothers and families experience every year in the United States after pregnancy and infant loss.”

Houston’s own story resonated deeply with the audience. “I am one of those mothers,” she continued.

Through Angel Babies Matter Network, Houston and her team provide a voice for mothers like herself, offering mental health resources, grief support, and connection to a community that understands. She highlighted the organization’s partnership with healthcare professionals, social workers, and hospitals, and noted that it is the only grief support group for pregnancy and infant loss trained by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI).

Houston also called attention to the troubling statistics on infant mortality in Texas, revealing the state’s “D” grade from the March of Dimes for its infant mortality rates.

Following her speech, Houston connected with families during a post-ceremony brunch, distributing Angel Babies Matter Network buttons and gifting a special shirt to a mother in attendance. “To the mothers here today, you are not alone,” she affirmed.

Houston Methodist Woodlands’ Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Remembrance Ceremony, held annually in October, offers families a space to honor their angel babies while providing them with community support and resources.

Danielle Houston closed her remarks with a heartfelt call to action, encouraging attendees to continue advocating for mothers and to connect with Angel Babies Matter Network. “Let us always remember our angel babies, the lives who left imprints on our hearts.”

For more information on how to get involved with Angel Babies Matter Network, visit their website. The organization remains committed to offering hope, healing, and community to mothers and families coping with pregnancy and infant loss.