BUFFALO, N.Y. — October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
A family in Western New York is honoring their daughter's memory by leaving a big impact.
On November 29th, 2023, the Zelazny family lost their daughter Maya. Madi Zelazny, Maya's mom, said, "We lost our daughter Maya at 16 weeks four days. There was no reason why. My water broke and we delivered her and she was too young to survive."
Reading is personal to the Zelanzy family. Matthew Zelanzy is her dad. He said, "we found comfort reading books to to Maya when we were in the hospital."
Something as small as a book created comfort for their family.
Madi Zelanzy said, "We were in the hospital getting to pick out a few books and he would read to her as she's right there in his lap." They were able to keep those books. It's what inspired Maya's mission.
Madi Zelanzy said, "There's usually like a sticker donated by and every single book was donated in memory of the lost child and that just like spearhead from our grief, trying to turn it into a positive keep her memory alive."
The family is asking for donations of books. The hope is to put a cart full of books in bereavement rooms in hospitals.
Madi Zelanzy said, "Keeping her memory alive is helping all of the lost babies to us and those little books It seems so little and trivial, but it literally is everything."
In honor of Maya's birthday, the book will be going to Mercy Hospital of Buffalo. "There's a lot of people who are trying to change the world. We are one of them. We are small, but we are going to grow as big as we can for our daughter Maya."
It's a way to preserve Maya's memory and also other children.
"Our goal is not to have Maya's name, but every other lost child," Madi Zelanzy explained. The Zelanzy's want people to know there are resources out there.
For more information including those resources you can go to Star Legacy Foundation, Western Perinatal Bereavement Network, Footprints on the Heart, Guys & Grief Podcast, The Clark & Delilah Project, Noah's Helping Hands Project.
Here is where you can donate to their mission.
"We are going to collect them all and donate them to help comfort other families going through this most tragic time.
Types of books we have received previously:
-baby books (stray away from anything welcoming though)
-kid's story books (ex: Disney story collection, bedtime story collections)
-devotion books for grief parents
-books about child loss for parents
-books for the sibling of loss
I have created an Amazon list if that helps anyone not sure what to get!
Maya’s Mission - Amazon Gift List - Maya’s Mission - Amazon Gift List - https://www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/9QWC9FU0DLHO.