Ann Douglas

Ann Douglas is the author of 21 books (published and forthcoming), including Trying Again: A Guide to Pregnancy After Miscarriage, Stillbirth, and Infant Loss and The Mother of All Pregnancy Books. She has experienced infertility, miscarriage, and stillbirth, as well as four textbook pregnancies. She and her books have been featured in a variety of publications, including Parenting, Parents, Working Mother, and Good Housekeeping.

Ann can be contacted via her web site at Having-a-Baby.com.

Marilyn Heavilin

Marilyn Heavilin has earned her PhD in grief the hard way . . . experience!

Marilyn and her husband Glen have been married forty-three years. In 1964 their third child, Jimmy, died of SIDS at 7 weeks. In 1965 Marilyn gave birth to identical twin boys on Christmas morning. Ten days later, Ethan, the smaller of the twins died of pneumonia while still in the hospital. In 1983 Nathan, the remaining twin, was 17 years old when he was killed by a drunk driver. The Heavilins have two remaining children, Matthew, 42, and Mellyn, 40, and four grandchildren, ages 14, 13, 12, and 7.

Marilyn has authored five books, including December's Song, When Your Dreams Die, and the best-selling Roses In December. She also recently co-authored Grief Is A Family Affair with her son Matthew.

Marilyn has been on the speaking circuit since 1984 and has spoken throughout the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the Caribbean, Bermuda, and the United Kingdom.

Visit Marilyn's website at Proverbial Press.

Sherokee Ilse

Sherokee Ilse has walked and stumbled down the long journey of pregnancy and infant loss. She had a miscarriage (Marama), a full term stillbirth (Brennan) and an ectopic pregnancy (Bryna) along with two living sons, Kellan and Trevor. Writing the book Empty Arms: Coping with Miscarriage, Stillbirth and Infant Death in 1982 helped her cope with her first two losses. This propelled her on to the national scene where she became a strong advocate for families experiencing the loss of their child. She spearheaded the formation of a national pregnancy and infant loss organization, helped lead the charge to make October Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month, conducted hundreds of workshops and inservices for professional caregivers and the bereaved, and authored /co-authored 6 other books and 7 booklets on the subject.

Sherokee continues on this mission and is involved in two national organizations at present--as a Director of the Coalition for Positive Outcomes in Pregnancy and as an advisor and bereavement team leader with the SIDS and Other Infant Death Program Center, sponsored by the Maternal and Child Health Bureau. She has been on the Oprah Winfrey show, and a guest of Donahue and many other national, regional and local shows attempting to bring legitimacy and awareness to this most important life issue.

Visit Sherokee's website at Wintergreen Press.

Laura Randolph

Much of Laura Randolph's work as a home health RN has been with pregnant mothers experiencing complications, newborns who have special needs, and children with chronic, debilitating health problems that require around the clock nursing care. Interacting with both mothers-to-be in high-risk pregnancies and parents of children with life threatening conditions gave her a glimpse into parental anguish. Caring for sick children also gave Laura an appreciation for life and a lesson in its uncertainty. None of these experiences, however, prepared her for the grief and loss she would feel when her son, Brycen, died as a newborn from an undetected heart defect.

Since Brycen's death, Laura has become active in infant loss support groups, participated in studies dealing with infant mortality and grief, and is currently studying the grief process.

After a high risk pregnancy of her own, Laura is thankful to be at home with her second child, Alaina. She has been a member of StorkNet (aka firsttimer) since March 2000.