How many kids do you each have and what are their ages?
Alecia: I am the mom of 2 boys, James and Bryce. James was stillborn at just over 31 weeks in September of 2019. Bryce just turned one in August. And I can’t leave out my sweet girl Maggie. Maggie, is our labradoodle who will turn 4 in December.
Lindsey: We have three boys – Cooper age 12, Tucker age 10 and Calvin age 2. Our daughter Lucy, age 4 is in Heaven. In June 2017 she was stillborn at 27 weeks.
What do you love about living in Nebraska?
Alecia: I have grown up living in different areas of Nebraska, but I enjoy the transition of all the seasons–especially summer into fall!
Lindsey: Nebraska is where my family has lived for many generations. Nebraskans are hardworking people that are there for each other. All of this makes me proud that this is my home state. I sure wish we would have warmer days and less wind, but it still is the Good Life.
What’s your favorite restaurant and/or place to shop in your city?
Alecia: I love almost all the Mexican restaurants in town and have a favorite menu item at each! I enjoy shopping in general, if I picked a favorite I would have to go with Target!
Lindsey: I love El Mezcal and Magnolias (home decor).
How do you juggle work and your newer non-profit obligations with mom and family life?
Alecia: I would say we are still trying to figure it out. Lindsey and I both work full time. We are texting/emailing each other throughout the day to divide and conquer. Though we are blessed with technology, we often meet over the lunch hour at least once a week to make decisions/strategize in person. Our husbands and families are involved in our nonprofit and very supportive.
Lindsey: In addition to Alecia’s comment we are putting in some late night hours and weekends.
What hobbies do you enjoy?
Alecia: I enjoy shopping online or browsing the aisles in almost any store or vendor show. I also enjoy cooking, audiobooks, and spending time with my family. This summer was all about playing in the water and now that we are transitioning to cooler days we love going to the park and hitting up all the pumpkin patches!
Lindsey: I love to be outside and enjoy walking/running. I enjoy craft projects and spending time with my children.
Where do you both live/work?
Alecia: I live outside of Madison with my family. Last year we finished remodeling our home that has been in my husband’s family for over 100 years. I am a registered nurse and I work at Faith Regional in Norfolk.
Lindsey: I live in Norfolk and work as a Loan Administrative
Tell us the why that led you to found Forever in Our Hearts.
After losing our children we both felt that resources were limited in our area. There were a variety of different support groups and events but all of them were over an hour and half drive from our homes. When we took a step back and looked at our community, Norfolk/Columbus and the surrounding areas—we really felt like we needed something local.
What types of long-term goals do you have in place for your foundation?
We currently are offering a Bible Study Support Group for moms who have experienced the loss of a pregnancy, infant, and/or child. We would love to see this group grow! We currently meet bi-weekly at Our Savior Lutheran Church. We would like to expand our ability of making weighted bears and weighted hearts care packages for families experiencing loss.
We would love to partner with local healthcare organizations to provide education/resources to staff. Ultimately creating a continuous flow of resources that are available within the community for different types of pregnancy and infant loss.
We hope to grow so that we are able to provide education/resources that address the emotional, physical, and financial needs for families who experience loss. This material could be available in the clinic(s) and hospital(s). In addition to written materials, we plan to have easily accessible online resources. We recognize that every loss is as unique as every person–so we would like to serve as a compass to help people navigate through their loss journey by connecting them with resources they need.
Information will be available as educational material, while our website, when finalized, will allow additional information to a variety of different groups/organizations with the goal of providing easily accessible information to families that are going through the worst imaginable experience.
What do you hope to accomplish through your foundation?
We hope to provide a sense of community to families who experience the loss of a pregnancy, infant, or child. We want to be able to help them address the emotional, physical, and financial aspects of grieving. We want to be able to offer resources that are located within our community. We also want to be able to raise awareness and provide education related to pregnancy and infant loss.
How can moms and families who are affected by loss reach out to you and your foundation?
We are actively working to build our website and hope to have this live before the end of the year. Currently you can reach us via email, Facebook, and Instagram.
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: Forever in Our Hearts @foreverinourhearts.ne
Instagram @forever.in.our.hearts.ne
How can other people in the community help?
For those interested in donating their time, we will be looking for volunteers to help with a variety of future events for families who have experienced this loss. We would love to have a group of go-to people that could assist with planning and running these events. For those interested, we will also be looking for people to help assist with assembling weighted bears and hearts for care packages.
For those interested in financially supporting Forever in Our Hearts, please contact us directly OR donations can be deposited at any of the 11 Midwest Bank branches.
