Our Team

Hi, my name is Candice (she/her), I work as a Family Doctor in Cochrane and I’m a parent to 2 energetic kids. My road to motherhood has been complicated involving both miscarriage and the loss of 2 children later in pregnancy. I was fortunate to feel very well supported through my journey by family and friends, but I have watched and experienced the growth of grief support resources in Calgary and area surrounding pregnancy and infant loss, and I knew I wanted to be a part of it. Loss has shaped who I am in such important ways, and parenthood as a whole has helped me to become a better physician. I look forward to using my skills and experience to help guide and support others through their own journeys, and to sit with them in the dark spaces as they come up. Parenting takes a village, and that is true whether your arms are empty or not.

I am a mom, gramma, and great gramma. I work with people who have developmental disabilities and other barriers to their success in their chosen life. I volunteer with PILSC because I have seen people who are close to me experience pregnancy and infant loss. I want to help other families find some peace, comfort and meaning in their loss.

Instagram: @janetisawesome

Twitter: @JanetLRoy

I’m a mom of 1 crazy toddler and am passionate about maternal mental health. I volunteer as I want families to know they are not alone and be as helpful as I can.

Instagram: @janessacutie and @serenitymaternalsupport

Website: www.serenitymaternalsupport.com

Hello Beautiful People! I am Samantha, 28, living in Ontario but grew up in Newfoundland. In January 2020, I had my first pregnancy which resulted in a miscarriage. It broke me into pieces. I decided to volunteer with PILSC to help not only others cope with their loss but myself. My hope is to turn my hurt into help and awareness.

Instagram: @Samantha_Jodi

I am a Birth and Bereavement Doula with a heart for connection and community. I love to travel and go adventuring outside. If I am inside, there is usually a book in my hand! I volunteer with this amazing centre to hold space for people reaching out for support, care and healing. To be a member of this team is a true privilege.

My name is Nicole, I am a fierce advocate for perinatal mental health and helping the women who suffer. I volunteer at PILSC after having my own loss last year and realizing how important it was for healing to have that support of a community who has gone through and understood the journey I was on. I am passionate on helping others through their loss journeys.

Instagram: nicoledevlin

In 2009, after learning of my son’s complicated heart defects when I was 19 weeks pregnancy, I made the heartbreaking decision to let him go and to end my pregnancy. Volunteering at PILSC is a way for me to show solidarity with the pregnancy and infant loss community, to help breakdown the silence around these types of losses, and to hopefully step alongside other parents to share and support.

I am a Political Science student and dog mom. I’m passionate about social justice and policy reform for disenfranchised and overlooked groups, and I am pursuing a career in law so that I can be apart of meaningful change for high-need demographics. I volunteer at PILSC because the mission is very close to my heart. Having gone through my own loss, I find it incredibly rewarding to be apart of a group that helps so many navigate their journeys through grief.

Twitter: @cccaitland

After multiple miscarriages, I found myself trying to balance life on a mountain of buried pain and grief. It took me some time to work through the pain, the blame and self Isolation but I got there through radical self-love and subconscious reprogramming. Now I have the opportunity to teach other women and folks, how to get from where they are in their grief process to where they want to be.

Instagram: donette_wynter_boothe

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/donettewynter

Melissa Sulley (she/her) is a Pregnancy + Infant Loss Doula Candidate and holds a Bachelor of Psychology and Education, with a special interest in grief work. ⁠
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She is a mother to two children earth-side (Ezekiel and Eliyanah) and seven children waiting for her in the stars. Her first experience with pregnancy loss was in 2015 when she lost her son Josiah at 20 weeks.⁠
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She went on to lose three more babies within the second trimester, and three within the first trimester. ⁠
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Melissa is passionate about sharing her personal journey of grief and helping others navigate through the difficult waters of loss. In 2017, Melissa built her own business, josiah+co. as a way to honour her babies as well as all the other babies gone too soon. ⁠
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She hosts workshops and events for those impacted by Pregnancy + Infant Loss in Hamilton, Ontario where she resides with her partner and two children. ⁠

Melissa will be facilitating the Next Steps after Loss EST group weekly, from December 1st-22nd.

Website: https://josiahandco.ca/

Instagram: @josiahandco

Hello – my names is Helena. I work as a nurse for the last 15 years and the health care field for the last 18 years.   My journey to motherhood has been  complicated involving a loss in 2016 and loss twin girls in 2018.  The PILSC help with dealing with my loss in 2018.  Volunteering at PILSC is a way for me to help other families going through loss. Hoping with PILSC we can help more families seek help dealing with Pregnancy and Infant loss and advocate for awareness involving PILSC.  I love music, reading and watching tennis on TV.

I have a background in health education and restorative exercise. I am passionate about helping people feel strong and confident in their bodies through movement. I volunteer at PILSC because I want to help people going through the traumatic experience of pregnancy loss navigate this complex journey and feel less alone. I have two living children and have experienced three losses in a row since my second son was born. The PILSC has inspired me to speak about my losses and talk openly about my grief and personal journey with family and friends. Being a part of the hotline team helps me honour my three losses and contribute to a community that is helping break the stigma around pregnancy and infant loss.

Instagram: @rtreallifemovement

My name is Courtney, I am a Registered Nurse that works with Kensington Clinic as well as the Tuberculosis Clinic here in Calgary. I decided to begin volunteering with PILSC because working at Kensington Clinic I see a lot of people that can utilise a support service such as this, and I wanted to make myself available to individuals who need extra support in this area of their lives. Even though my work can be quite time consuming, I do find being able to help people who need it to be rewarding, and I feel as though it is the least I can do when I have the time available.

I am the proud mom of 5 incredible souls, photographer and end of life doula. I am honoured to volunteer at PILSC in memory of my son Ezzeill ,who silently left this earth 16 years ago, and in loving recognition of my daughter (his living twin sister.) They inspire me to use my grief and experience to support others. Through love and connection we create space to heal.

Instagram: @risingsoulphotography

I am a mom of four; three living children and one that passed away shortly after her birth 16 yrs ago. I am a Postpartum , and Loss Doula living in Calgary, AB. I volunteer at PILSC because I know from my own history of loss, just how important it is to have good support at all stages of this journey. Whether you are a newly bereaved parent, going through a subsequent pregnancy or many years after your loss, being able to talk to someone who has walked a similar path can make a huge difference. If I can help just one parent feel less isolated and alone, then I have done my part.

Instagram: @purplerosedoula

website: www.purplerosedoula.com

My name is Cong Luo (Hugo). I use he/him, they/them pronouns. I am a current master’s student in Educational Research at the University of Calgary. My primary interest is how educational stakeholders and institutions can improve their policies and practices to better address the social injustice issues faced by minoritized and marginalized groups of people and create a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive learning and teaching environment for all.

I have been a committee member of Gender and Sexuality Alliance. Our team is dedicated to increasing the visibility of the 2SLGBTQI+ community and fostering a safe and inclusive climate on campus. As a feminist myself, I believe that it is imperative for men to engage in women-related issues. We are living in a male hegemonic world, but we can make a change and achieve gender equality. I am still on the road to further develop my critical social justice literacy so that I will be well equipped to initiate genuine dialogues among people from different backgrounds. I hold myself accountable for challenging unequal power relations and learning more about disadvantaged groups. I hope we can work together to build a pluralistic and multicultural society

Heather Hooge is a registered social worker with a background in health care. Heather is excited to support the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre having had her own life touched by pregnancy loss in 2016 when Heather delivered her daughter, Willa, stillborn at 21 weeks gestation due to poor prenatal diagnosis.

Heather knows firsthand how important it is to have a community to turn to for support in healing and is excited that the centre will be that community for many others who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss.

Hi, my name is Arden Chan, and I use they/them pronouns.⁠⁠ I was drawn to being a peer support facilitator out of a desire to help build community and support for those people facing the very difficult and often isolating experience of pregnancy and infant loss. ⁠I want to hold space for the wide range of thoughts and feelings that come with loss and prospective loss, and be part of the journey of coping and healing. ⁠ ⁠ I graduated with my Bachelor’s in social work, and have experience supporting the emotions, loss, and decision-making that can accompany pregnancy interruption, through my time at Kensington Clinic.

Alison (aka Ali Varga) is a registered Canadian Certified Counsellor through the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. Ali lost her little girl, Kalista, in May 2016 at 7 months. This loss changed her life forever. The healing journey has been a challenge but Ali has been lucky to have met some remarkable people along the way and has learned to see beauty, also known as “the silver lining”, even when it seems to not exist. This often came in the form of Ali’s many animals on her farm!

She has now gotten to a place in her journey where she wanted to give back to this amazing community; putting both her personal experience and professional skills to work in a positive way. Being a group facilitator with the Centre gives Ali an opportunity to honor her little girl, along with everyone else’s little ones.

Instagram: serendipityeq_ali

Twitter: @varga_ali

Hi, my name is Jill (she/her). ⁠⁠ I felt so called to the Pregnancy After Loss Group when I first heard about it. Going through my own loss, I see that support from individuals going through similar experiences is crucial to the healing process. ⁠ Solidarity, and knowing that you are not alone is beautiful and empowering. Pregnancy after loss is a complex time to say the very least. ⁠ Being a part of the journey for other parents is an absolute honour. Through my lived experience, the space I’ve held for others in loss, and through my education, this is a group that I care so deeply for and am grateful to be involved in.

Breanna holds a Bachelor of Social Work and has a background working in the field of mental health as well as supporting families. Throughout her degree and work experience, Breanna has had opportunities to co-facilitate groups and loved it. Breanna is passionate about supporting families through their grief and loss journey, so she is excited to volunteer with the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre.

Hi my name is Frances Kordov (She/her). After experiencing pregnancy losses between two living children, I have felt what it means to parent while grieving, and then to carry a pregnancy to full term. ⁠ ⁠ After my second child was born, chronic pain from osteoarthritis combined with postpartum anxiety & depression led me to completely reframe what I had believed it meant to be a healthy and present parent, spouse, and human being in general. ⁠ ⁠

One of the things that helped me through that time was participation in peer support groups where the combination of people graciously listening and offering stories created a space of “we’ve got you” in both pain and joy. ⁠ ⁠ It’s my hope to facilitate a group where this kind of open connection and community care will support your individual healing and build our empathy for one another.

Hi my name is Helen and I go by she and her.⁠ ⁠ I have always loved helping people whether it was the new graduates in my team at work, or the overseas members, and helping them get to know the local customs and showing them around. ⁠⁠Through my work I was always drawn to the group facilitation courses and enjoyed them immensely and gained so much from them. ⁠ I want to give those experiences to others and after suffering my own miscarriage, I want to help support others through the journey of moving forward with peer group facilitation.⁠ ⁠Whilst my training is in geophysics, training the new people, running meetings, being the team member to include everyone, I recently completed a facilitation course at the University of Calgary. ⁠ I gained the Certificate in Adult Learning specializing in Workplace Learning and I love the opportunity to share the amazing things I learned and the journey it put me through and helping others through it to

Hi, my name is Jordan (she/her). I feel an affinity towards facilitating the Parent and Baby group due to my 10+ years working with families as a birth and postpartum doula, as well as my work as a personal coach and due to my own personal journey with loss, fertility and family. I have learned to draw on the support of my community, my family and my own personal strengths and wish to support others as they find their footing to do the same.”⁠ ⁠

I am drawn to connecting with and holding space for people, as they expand on their inner knowing of where they are at and where they want to go.

Steven (he/him/his) is a 34 year old father of two who has spent the last ten years in theatre and film and now is on a journey to practice Counselling and Social Work. ⁠He feels drawn to helping those at the Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre as he and his wife lost their daughter in early 2020 and the support provided to them was incredible.⁠ ⁠ He hopes to support others in the same way and show people they are not alone in these woods. Steven looks forward to speaking to you all.⁠ ⁠

Nancy Shadlock (she/her) is a Coming Out Coach at Centered Life Coaching. ⁠She helps others step out of whatever closet that is no longer serving them, by helping them connect to their truest self and supporting them in sharing that with their world in a powerful, life-giving way. These same skills are helpful in her work of helping partners through their journey of loss. From firsthand experience she knows it is hard to know how to support someone when you haven’t experienced the same thing within your own body, thus she seeks to embody empathy as much as possible.⁠ ⁠ Nancy is married to an amazing woman named Alaina, they have two sweet babies and a beautiful life together in Calgary, Alberta.⁠