The Helping Hearts placement of the Junior League of Panama City serves women and families in our community who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss by providing recognition of life items and bereavement materials.

Leaving the hospital from a late term pregnancy loss is devastating for mother and family. They are expecting to bring a baby home, and mothers often experience “empty arms.”

JLPC hosts a drive annually in October for Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month, but you can support this initiative year round. Please help us support these mothers and families by donating a teddy bear from our Amazon Wishlist or click the donate button in the top right corner of our page and write “Helping Hearts” in the memo line to make a monetary contribution. Each $25 donation provides a bear to a family in Bay County who is experiencing pregnancy & infant loss.

To donate a bear in honor of a specific child or family, please provide the baby’s name, family’s name, and email address in the notes section so that they may be notified of your donation.

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Helping Hearts serves families in our community facing baby loss by partnering with Gulf Coast Medical Center and Healthy Start Coalition. Helping Hearts provides support to families experiencing miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss with materials that will not only honor the life of the baby, but also provide a significant amount of help for families as they cope with their loss.

Each week, approximately 2-3 babies pass away at Gulf Coast Medical Center either from complications in pregnancy, stillbirth, or death due to fatal illness.

Small measures can honor the life of the baby who has passed away, while also significantly helping families cope with the loss of their baby. Because these materials are not medically necessary, they are often not secured in hospital budgets. Junior League of Panama City is in a unique position to consistently and compassionately provide these small measures, which will make a world of difference to women and families in our community.

Helping Hearts was established as a JLPC placement in loving memory of Mark Andrew Kinkade Jr., son of Mark and Danielle Kinkade.