Monica Novak
Monica Novak became a bereaved mother in 1995 with the stillbirth of her daughter Miranda, learning firsthand the devastation of saying goodbye to a much-loved, much-wanted baby before having the chance to say hello. Three weeks later, she began a journey towards healing when she attended her first Share support group meeting. Along the way, she and six other bereaved mothers formed a close bond that carried them through the grief of miscarriage, stillbirth, and infant death, as well as the challenges of subsequent pregnancy and infertility. Having been at the opposite ends of grief and joy; despair and hope; indifference and compassion; fear and peace-sometimes simultaneously-she has captured these emotions and the story of her journey in a highly-praised new memoir titled The Good Grief Club. Monica writes and speaks on the subject of pregnancy loss and infant death and is involved with local and national organizations that provide support to families and caregivers. She is a member of the Pregnancy Loss and Infant Death Alliance (PLIDA). Her mission is to bring comfort and hope to bereaved parents worldwide and to educate and promote awareness to the physicians, nurses, clergy, counselors, family, and friends of every mother or father who has or ever will be told that their baby has no heartbeat or that nothing more can be done. The mother of three daughters, Monica lives in the Chicago area with her husband, children, and a rat terrier named Sami. For more information, please visit www.thegoodgriefclub.com or e-mail Monica at monica@thegoodgriefclub.com Monica appeared on the radio show “Healing the Grieving Heart” discussing ”Miscarriage and Infant Loss.” To hear Monica being interviewed on this show by Dr. Gloria & Dr. Heidi Horsley, go to the following link: https://www.voiceamerica.com/episode/34073/miscarriage-and-infant-loss
Articles:
When a Miscarriage Occurs After Fertility Treatments
By Kira Copperman, LMSW – Being a patient at a fertility clinic brings moments of anxiety, hope, excitement, fear, and stress. The time and effort to become pregnant can feel […]
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Horror of Pregnancy Loss Inspires Mother to Grow
By Suzanne Schafer – My husband and I lost a baby during the middle of my pregnancy. From the first moment the doctor told me, with a deep, pained look […]
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What Makes Pregnancy Losses Unique
by Irv Leon, Ph.D. – People who suffer miscarriages and stillbirths grieve over a baby they do not know. Understanding how these losses are different from other losses helps to appreciate the […]
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The Good Grief Club is Born
By Monica Novak I didn’t see it coming. None of us did. How could we? For Heidi, Tracy, Wendy, and me, it came with the words, “There’s no heartbeat.” For […]
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The Good Grief Club
by Monica Novak – I didn’t see it coming. None of us did. How could we? For Heidi, Tracy, Wendy, and me, it came with the words, “There’s no heartbeat.” […]
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Myth Conceptions of Parental Grief
by David Hurley – Over the past several years I have heard several people make ridiculous and shocking statements regarding parental grief. Most of the time they think they can […]
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How to Support a Friend Who is Grieving a Miscarriage or Infant Death
By Chellie Bonebrake – The death of an infant or a miscarriage is so sad. Many times it’s difficult to know what to say, how to say it, and of […]
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Pregnancy After Pregnancy Loss
By Dr Lina Kaplan – Pregnancy loss presents a formidable challenge to bereaved parents. Grieving parents often report a profound sense of isolation and alienation at the time when they […]
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Helping a Friend Who Loses a Child
The Message By Betsy Bottino Arenella – My spiritual awakening began on December 11, 2004, with a life-altering phone call. I was walking down the front hall stairs in a […]
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Remembering a Child Who Lived a Short Life
By Jenny Hander – One of the greatest tragedies in losing a baby is that you don’t get the chance to form enough memories to carry you through a lifetime […]
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Open to Hope is an online community offering inspirational stories of loss, hope and recovery. We believe hope is the bridge between loss and recovery.
