I know that many already know what Blake and I are doing to keep Bentley's memory alive because we are always talking about Bentley..but I wanted to jot down a few things so everyone can stay posted and up to date on where we are...
In June of this past year, Blake and I were asked to become Group Leaders of a local grief chapter of Faces of Loss/Faces of Hope. I was pregnant with Chase at the time, and while I accepted, I didn't pursue too much during pregnancy because I needed Chase to arrive safetly. And, I felt like it was too much to jump into while still being pregnant and the anxiety that goes along with that. So, in July we did have a balloon release at City Park. It was awesome. We played a few songs as we left ballons go into heaven. We had an awesome turn out of about 30 people which was great considering all the advertisement that we did was through word of mouth.
While I awaited Chase's arrival, I began printing business cards and organizing a game plan for what I had hoped to become of our support group. But, it really kicked into gear once Chase arrived. I can't truly explain it but I woke up the day after Chase was born and I had a sign of relief. A fresh breathe of air. It overcame me, immediately I just knew that I needed to get back into supporting others through a loss and I want to be able to support women through a pregnancy after a loss too. So, my friend and Kelly and I along with Blake kicked it into high grear and we became organizing a Lantern Release at the Hagerstown Fairgrounds. To be honest, we thought maybe 50 people would come..but there was about 200 people there! It was insane, and it was awesome.
And, just a few weeks ago we had a support group session workshop with Will Perks which I think was very helpful and we had an awesome conversations surrounding our grief and our babies. And, we are planning a Crazy Christmas Swearter party on Dec 21st.
So..what is our goal? What is our purpose?
We want to support people through the loss of their precious baby, but directing people to resources whether it be individual counseling, group counseling, labor of love, or events that Faces of Loss/Faces of Hope of Hagerstown will be having. I want to connect people together so that we can break the silence. We can remember our babies and not be afraid or alone.
I am in the midst of obtaining a certification to become a Birth Doula. This is something that I feel God has laid on my heart. I am really wanting to be able to support those who've experienced a loss, and become pregnant again. It is difficult. It is mentally exhausting, and I want to be able to help others. I also am working on getting some grief training. And, until I get my training accomplished, I do have counselors and people that I can recommend for professionals if someone needs a counselor.
I am doing this for Bentley. This gives Bentley's life a purpose. He has helped so many people thus far, and we want to keep that going. We have a Bentley Charles Nalley fund that we are opening. This fund will help assist us in providing support for other families. This fund will make events and meetings happen. If anyone wants to help with events or has ideas, please let me know. Mark your calendars for DEC 21st \. It is a Friday evening at 6:30 at Faith Christian Fellowship. Wear your crazy Christmas Sweaters. Bring a dish to share. And, let's have a good time. We will be having a white elephant gift exchange. It can be a gag gift or serious gift, please spend no more than $5 or less. We want this evneing to be fun! We will also be remembering our babies during this time in a special way!
If you have any questions, please comment or
In June of this past year, Blake and I were asked to become Group Leaders of a local grief chapter of Faces of Loss/Faces of Hope. I was pregnant with Chase at the time, and while I accepted, I didn't pursue too much during pregnancy because I needed Chase to arrive safetly. And, I felt like it was too much to jump into while still being pregnant and the anxiety that goes along with that. So, in July we did have a balloon release at City Park. It was awesome. We played a few songs as we left ballons go into heaven. We had an awesome turn out of about 30 people which was great considering all the advertisement that we did was through word of mouth.
While I awaited Chase's arrival, I began printing business cards and organizing a game plan for what I had hoped to become of our support group. But, it really kicked into gear once Chase arrived. I can't truly explain it but I woke up the day after Chase was born and I had a sign of relief. A fresh breathe of air. It overcame me, immediately I just knew that I needed to get back into supporting others through a loss and I want to be able to support women through a pregnancy after a loss too. So, my friend and Kelly and I along with Blake kicked it into high grear and we became organizing a Lantern Release at the Hagerstown Fairgrounds. To be honest, we thought maybe 50 people would come..but there was about 200 people there! It was insane, and it was awesome.
And, just a few weeks ago we had a support group session workshop with Will Perks which I think was very helpful and we had an awesome conversations surrounding our grief and our babies. And, we are planning a Crazy Christmas Swearter party on Dec 21st.
So..what is our goal? What is our purpose?
We want to support people through the loss of their precious baby, but directing people to resources whether it be individual counseling, group counseling, labor of love, or events that Faces of Loss/Faces of Hope of Hagerstown will be having. I want to connect people together so that we can break the silence. We can remember our babies and not be afraid or alone.
I am in the midst of obtaining a certification to become a Birth Doula. This is something that I feel God has laid on my heart. I am really wanting to be able to support those who've experienced a loss, and become pregnant again. It is difficult. It is mentally exhausting, and I want to be able to help others. I also am working on getting some grief training. And, until I get my training accomplished, I do have counselors and people that I can recommend for professionals if someone needs a counselor.
I am doing this for Bentley. This gives Bentley's life a purpose. He has helped so many people thus far, and we want to keep that going. We have a Bentley Charles Nalley fund that we are opening. This fund will help assist us in providing support for other families. This fund will make events and meetings happen. If anyone wants to help with events or has ideas, please let me know. Mark your calendars for DEC 21st \. It is a Friday evening at 6:30 at Faith Christian Fellowship. Wear your crazy Christmas Sweaters. Bring a dish to share. And, let's have a good time. We will be having a white elephant gift exchange. It can be a gag gift or serious gift, please spend no more than $5 or less. We want this evneing to be fun! We will also be remembering our babies during this time in a special way!
If you have any questions, please comment or