INFANTS REMEMBERED IN SILENCE INC
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Mission Statement
Infants Remembered In Silence, Inc. (IRIS), a nonprofit organization, supplements the care given by the medical, mental health, and religious communities by providing resources and referral information, support and education to parents, family, friends, and professionals after a child dies in early pregnancy (ectopic pregnancy, molar pregnancy, miscarriage, etc.) or from stillbirth, neo-natal death, birth defects, illness, accident, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), and all other types of infants and early childhood death.
About This Cause
Infants Remembered In Silence (IRIS) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, dedicated to offer support, education, and resources on the death of a child in early pregnancy, or from premature birth, stillbirth, neo-natal death, birth defects, sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), accident, illness, and all other types of infant and early childhood death. IRIS serves a six county area in Minnesota free of charge (Dodge, LeSueur, Goodhue, Rice, Steele, and Waseca counties) and provides limited services around the world through the resources on the IRIS website www.irisRemembers.com. IRIS Services are provided by IRIS Volunteers and Trained IRIS Advocates. These services include: Common Burial: This service is for infants that die before the gestational age of 20 weeks. This service is held in conjunction with District One Hospital, Boldt Funeral Home, Maple Lawn Cemetery and IRIS. This service is based in Faribault but is used by many parents who deliver in Faribault and live in other communities. Bereavement Support Packets: Packets contain information for parents on the type of death that they have experienced, along with options that are available to them. This includes information such as how family and friends can help, grieving grandparents, father’s grief, mother’s grief, creating memories, planning a funeral, etc. Parents are not required to give us their names and/or address to receive services. This type of death is very private and many parents do not wish to share this information. Packets are available free of charge at Hospitals, Funeral Homes, the IRIS office, and many agencies within our service area. Multiple Language Bereavement Support Packets: Information for Spanish speaking parents is currently available with new IRIS materials being translated and/or improved. Burial Clothing Sets: Boxed sets contain a garment (boy, girl or unisex), blanket and cap designed by IRIS to fit infants 2" - 24" in length. Each is designed to meet the needs of these fragile infants. Also included in the boxed set are baby bath soap, baby lotion, a shell, tape measure, and teddy bear. SIDS / Accident Blankets: These special blankets are crib size or larger and used in hospitals when an infant or older child has died (regardless of the cause of death). The child is wrapped in the blanket making it easier for the parents to spend time with him/her. This is important as the child will often have IV’s and/or medical equipment in place that cannot be removed until an autopsy is done (often mandated). Blankets are used to cover this equipment. Advocate Program: An IRIS advocate is a volunteer who assists the parents with creating memories of the baby, explaining options, answering questions, and assisting the parents before, during and/or after the death/delivery. This service includes the options of being a doula (labor coach) assisting with labor. Other options include taking pictures, making 3D sculpture of a child’s hands and feet, taking a lock of hair, and taking hand/foot prints using an inkless system. A Blessing cloth is available for those who choose to baptize/bless their child. A comb with a fabric hair folder, fabric certificate folder, and a fabric photo folder are also available. On average, an IRIS advocate will spend 8-12 hours in the hospital working with a family and the child. In the funeral home setting, without the parents or family members, IRIS advocates will spend approximately 5 - 6 hours working with the baby. Parents are always encouraged to take part in the process regardless of the location. Note that parents are NOT required to have an IRIS Advocate to receive IRIS services. Bereavement Support Packets and Clothing Sets are available in all hospitals and funeral homes in our service area and are offered free of charge to all parents. Training Program: Training is provided for advocates, care providers, funeral directors, clergy, childbirth educators, medical staff, police and sheriff departments, social workers, public health, attorneys, teachers, daycare and foster care providers, and interested professionals. IRIS provides a wide range of information and training for clinic/hospital staff and nurses along with training of IRIS volunteers and advocates. Support Groups: Support groups are held twice a month: Midday Meeting - 2nd Wednesday of every month 11 am – 1 pm Evening Meeting - 4th Tuesday of every month 7 – 8:30 pm Meetings are held at the IRIS office (a central location) and are well attended from families within our service area and outside of our service area. It is common to have parents travel an hour or more to IRIS Support Group meetings. Newsletters: Newsletters are published 4 times each year for parents, family, friends, and professionals through the USA. All newsletters are posted on the IRIS website and on our Facebook pages. Holiday Service of Remembrance: The IRIS Holiday Service has been held annually on the 1st Sunday in December since 1994. The service is held at the Chapel of the Good Shepherd on Shattuck Campus in Faribault. The Chapel was built 158 years ago in memory of a baby girl. This service that honors the memory of hundreds of children each year is also attended by hundreds of parents, family, and friends. Memorial Quilt: Memorial quilts are a special way for parents to remember their children. IRIS provides several options for parents to take part in. There are over 1000 infants remembered in these quilts. It is important to remember that all IRIS services are free of charge to parents who live within, deliver within, or return home to bury a child within our six county service area of Dodge, Goodhue, LeSueur, Rice, Steele, and Waseca Counties. Parents experience medical bills for the mother; they may also have large medical bills for the baby if he/she lives for any amount of time, and in addition will have funeral or cremation expenses. Most parents are not prepared for such expenses. In addition, most bereaved parents do not have the emotional or physical strength to look for resources and information provided by IRIS. IRIS Trained Advocates and Volunteers provide IRIS Services. The IRIS Programs runs 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. The services provided are beneficial to the parents, family, friends, and professionals who request them. Services provide direction for healthy grieving in a caring environment that is supported by those who have experienced similar losses.