Our Team

Lee (He/Him) was first introduced to the infant loss community after the passing of his middle child in 2017. Since that point, he has endeavoured to be an active member of peer support groups to help empower those dealing with grief by sharing experience and common ground. He believes that openness and communication are the pillars of progress and is excited to build upon these attributes with other “partners in loss”; navigating loss for a non-birthing parent is a unique journey, and Lee hopes that sharing his son’s story will help others shine a light on their path ahead.

My name is Melissa Fakunle (she/her). I recently graduated in Public Health from the University of Lethbridge. I am originally from Nigeria and have lived in two other countries before coming to Canada. In my spare time you can find me editing videos, occasionally exercising, learning new things, and baking. I enjoy travelling and I hope post-pandemic to visit more countries. I believe that social media is an amazing platform to reach and educate individuals on and I am so excited to be a part of it.

Hello everyone! My name is Yasmin Prado (Dadey) and I was born and raised in Lima, Peru. I got a Bachelor’s Degree in Communication in Lima as well. Later I moved to Canada to improve my English and study for a Diploma in Graphic Design at LaSalle College Vancouver.

I became a volunteer at PILSC because I always wanted to be part of a non-profit organization to help people and to make a little difference in someone’s life. I would love to learn more about social help and be able to educate and empower others with a message of hope. I am very happy and proud to be part of our amazing team.

Erin (she/her) has been in the infertility world for over 6 years. She has done many treatments from IUIs to travelling abroad for IVF treatments. She is still on her journey to becoming a mom and has decided to volunteer to help others who are on their journey as she knows how isolating it can be.

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

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 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.

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

My name is Annie (she/her) I am the proud mom of 5 beautiful souls, dog lover, photographer, and end-of-life doula. I am honoured to volunteer at PILSC in memory of my 2 early losses and my son Ezzeill who left this earth silently 17 years ago, also in recognition of my daughter (his living twin sister.) They inspire me to use my grief and experiences to support others. This community has given me a space to continue to heal and connect with others who have experienced loss and it has changed my life. For many years I felt so alone in my grief journey. I know how important it is to have a community of love around you as you find your way through the pain. Through love and connection, we create space to heal.

@risingsoulphotography

Cait is a passionate, pro-choice advocate with a mission to fight the stigmas associated with abortion. Cait had her own abortion in 2018, which opened her eyes to the complexities of pregnancy and infant loss, particularly the lack of support available for individuals navigating their abortion experience.

The shame that is societally attached to abortion has meant that there is little sympathy and/or support for those who have chosen to have abortions for reasons beyond necessity, which has meant that they are left without support.

Cait has a background in policy and her long-term goal is to address Canada’s abortion policies and provide the means to support individuals logistically and emotionally through the pre-and post- stages of abortion.

PILSC has been a phenomenal place for Cait to both heal and give back, and she is incredibly grateful to contribute to the helpline, as a peer mentor, and as a peer group facilitator for the post-abortion group.

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

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.

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

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.⁠ ⁠

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 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.

Heather is a Registered Social Worker with experience working in health care supporting those with complex mental health, trauma and addictions, as well as in program development and group facilitation.

Heather made the difficult decision in 2016 to release her pregnancy with her daughter, Willa, at 22 weeks for medical reasons. Heather is excited to be part of the team at PILSC as Peer Support Program Manager and as a peer group facilitator volunteer, as she knows the value of community and connecting with those who GET it.

By working and volunteering with the pregnancy and infant loss community, Heather gets to channel her love for her daughter into helping others walk this journey and feel less alone.

“As far as I can see, grief will never truly end. It may become softer over time, more gentle, and some days will feel sharp. But grief will last as long as love does – forever.” – Lexi Behrndt

Hi, my name is Kristina (she/her).

After receiving the diagnosis of life-limiting medical conditions for our baby at almost 24 weeks, we made the difficult decision to end our pregnancy. Experiencing the pain of having to make an impossible decision, while grieving with two living children was a harsh reality I wasn’t fully prepared for. During that time, I saw a great need for more adequate support for women and families and I wanted to provide that support in any way that I could so others would feel more seen and heard.

Once I joined a peer support group myself, and experienced like-minded families sitting in their grief alongside me, I saw just how important the power of our stories can truly be.
I joined the PILSC volunteer helpline and eventually began helping to facilitate peer support groups. I am drawn to people and their stories and feel strongly that everyone should have the opportunity to share their lived experiences in a way that feels safe and supported.

Lauren recently graduated with a BA in Behavioural Science, which is a combination of psychology and sociology. Her passion lies with individuals, families, and anyone in between that has been impacted by a loss. She especially feels close to those who have had a loss due to termination as she herself made the decision to terminate at the age of 17.

“I see that even though my termination was not due to medical reasons, there were a lot of emotions that went with it. I found that those emotions are just the same as those who have had a loss they did not want.

I wished to volunteer at the Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre because I know that I am not alone in my thoughts and feelings, and no one else should be either.”

Leslee Bossert (she/her) is a Registered Nurse and a volunteer peer support group leader. She lives and plays in the heart of the Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. She is a mother of 2 angel babies as well as 2 living children.

“(I wanted to volunteer at PILSC) to help find meaning for what has happened to us and offer support to others that have suffered the loss of a child.”

My name is Robin (she/her).

I am co-facilitating the Parent and Baby Peer Support Group. I have a B.A. in psychology and a B.Ed. and have taught elementary school for many years. I am currently pursuing a degree in social work at the University of Calgary.

I was drawn to volunteer for the PILSC because my first pregnancy in late 2016 ended in early miscarriage, and I wish there had been more supports to help me get through that difficult time and break through the stigma of talking about my loss. My second pregnancy and adjusting to parenthood was an anxious time because of my previous loss, but I now have an energetic preschooler who keeps me busy.

Susan Balaz (she/her) is a loss parent through both adoption and early pregnancy loss, and the mother to two living children. Susan is a birth and loss doula with a background in social work, and the co-creator of the first Canadian Infant & Pregnancy Loss Doula Certification program. She is very passionate about supporting birthing persons and their families through their loss and afterwards as they grieve their babies and future with them. She has had the honour of supporting multiple birthing people through their losses, and encourages them to share their loss story in the hopes of ending the stigma and honouring their little ones.

Jenelle (she/her) is the Hybrid Peer Support Group Coordinator for the Pregnancy & Infant Loss Support Centre. Jenelle first started at PILSC as a practicum student finishing her Social Work Diploma. She is passionate about the work that PILSC does because of the loneliness that she felt after losing her baby Ashton in 2012.

PILSC is an amazing point of connection and understanding for those who have lost a pregnancy or an infant, which is so vital as this kind of loss can be so isolating.

She is now working towards her BSW at Mount Royal University and hopes to continue in this kind of work in the future!

Kaylyn (she/her) is based out of Ontario and after losing her first pregnancy in early 2021, Kaylyn became aware of the lack of support for people experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. She wanted to contribute to an organization working in this space, which is why she was drawn to volunteer at PILSC. In addition, Kaylyn is passionate about improving awareness around pregnancy and infant loss and the support for those who are pregnant after loss.