About Inspirationally Grieving My Baby Inc.
Our mission is to raise awareness on all types of pregnancy and infant loss, by bringing grieving families together through support and education.
Comfort
We honor and remember each lost child, while comforting grieving families through our comfort boxes. Each box includes items that are personalized for each child and mother, honoring their eternal bond.
Support
We believe that the old adage is true- it does take a village. Healing can only occur when you are surrounded and supported by others, through community events that allow you to connect and network with others you can relate to.
Awareness
We strive to raise awareness on the different causes of pregnancy and infant loss that can affect mothers and children. Through education, friends and family can support their loved ones through the grief process.
Our Team
This team is forging a new path on a mission to achieve Inspirationally Grieving My Baby’s goals. Meet the people behind IGMB work in the community.
Elizabeth Ortiz
President
Stephanie Tolli
Director
Joshua Fermin
Director Of Technology
Founder's Statement
My name is Elizabeth Ortiz.
My son Ellisander Lorenzo Valerio, was born June 26, 2017 at 33 weeks old. He had a defect called omphalocele. On July 4th, 2017, I had the privilege of holding him in my arms, as he took his last breath.
Ellisander lived for 8 days.
With grief, comes many emotions- a sense of loss, anger, guilt, resentment, depression, anxiety, numbness, amongst others. Loss can strain relationships, as individuals may grieve differently. I could not let it define my child’s memory.
Grief is a journey, and while as a family it has been a challenge, it has also strengthened us. Ellisander’s passing has touched each one of us.
On October 23, 2018, Inspirationally Grieving My Baby Inc, formerly known as EllisBearyLoved became a not-for-profit organization. Our goal has been to support grieving families of pregnancy and infant loss by providing them with support, resources and comfort gifts.
“It takes a village”, applies to all stages of life, especially the grieving one. Join IGMB in helping to comfort grieving families everywhere.
Meet the Founder
I am the CEO/Founder of Inspirationally Grieving My Baby Inc. and a grieving mother. Starting this non-profit has been a way to help me grieve, honor my son, and honor all of the babies that have gone too soon. I also wanted to support the parents, grandparents, and siblings that have experienced infant loss.
Our mission is to bring focus to and raise awareness on the many types of pregnancy loss, miscarriage, and infant loss (0-1 year), as well as to support families experiencing these tragic losses. Since 2018, EllisBearyLoved has provided resources and gifts to families, in hopes that it will bring any amount of comfort.
What our future looks like:
With support from individuals, communities, and funders, we hope to provide:
- Pregnancy and infant loss resources.
- Comfort gifts.
- Mental health services and grief counseling with a 3-generational approach (parents, grandparents, and siblings).
- Virtual and in-person support groups.
- Bring awareness to pregnancy, infant loss, and all the reasons why they pass away (to family, friends, and the community overall).
Stephanie Tolli
As a mother who experienced pregnancy loss, I know the feeling of isolation and despair first hand. I stand firmly with the mission of Inspirationally Grieving My Baby as it sets to bring comfort, support, awareness & resources to us who have had the unfortunate heartbreaking experience. As the Vice-President of Inspirationally Grieving My Baby, I dedicate myself to ensure that we are able to provide the optimal support for our community. As a licensed clinician, I specialize in empathetic validation which I utilize in my role in this organization.
Meet Joshua Fermin
I’m a tech enthusiast who loves martial arts and skiing. I sit on the Inspirationally Grieving My Baby inc. board as the treasurer and volunteer my time as Director of Technology. At first, I started volunteering because I saw our founder, Elizabeth Ortiz’s passion when she shared her idea of providing support to families grieving the loss of a child. Support she didn’t have!