Empty Arms Vermont: Supporting Families Through Perinatal Loss and Remembrance

The Levis Family lost their firstborn, Timothy, suddenly during labor in 2014. Since then, Timothy's mom, Chelsea, has become deeply aware of the complexities of grief and pregnancy after loss. For her, grief is not a moment to get through, but a lifetime to explore and cultivate.

With support from Carol McMurrich of Empty Arms Bereavement in Massachusetts, Chelsea co-founded the statewide nonprofit, Empty Arms Vermont (EAVT), when she discovered that adequate peer support for bereaved parents was lacking. Modeled after the Massachusetts nonprofit, EAVT extends peer support and connects families and individuals through shared grief experiences. 

Their peer support groups meet monthly via Zoom and are free to attend. A variety of groups exists to help create spaces that best align with a loss experience such as their miscarriage, termination for medical reasons, and pregnancy after loss. Clinics and other OBGYN offices are invited to purchase Miscarriage Bags from the Empty Arms Vermont website, which are offered to patients who have just discovered they have miscarried a pregnancy. Each bag includes a few items of comfort: tea, chocolate, face wash, wooden heart (to hold), and a note from a peer at Empty Arms Vermont. Most recently EAVT has begun Hospital Companionship and Time of Loss programs at the UVM Medical Center and Porter Hospitals. With a patient's permission, nursing teams can invite trained peers or doulas to meet with them during their stay at the hospital. The intention of the program is to create continuity of care for those families once they are discharged from the hospital. Individuals experiencing loss and providers can find information about programming at https://www.emptyarmsvermont.org/

This October, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness month, Empty Arms will also host their fifth annual Remembrance events in Brattleboro, Rutland, Roxbury, and Essex Junction. These events are free to attend and are opportunities for community members, family, friends, children, as well as members of the medical community, to remember the babies they miss and honor a journey where grief and joy coexist. Please see the Empty Arms website for more information on Remembrance events and to RSVP.

During the event, attendees decorate luminarias, enjoy refreshments, and hear from community members. Empty Arms Vermont distributes childrens' books that help to process grief, which are paired with a craft activity. This year, EAVT will provide the book, "The Rabbit Listened", and materials to make rabbit ears that can be taken home. Luminarias are dispersed around the event venues and attendees are invited to walk amongst the lit luminarias as the sun sets. This is a reflective time to memorialize an experience of loss.

Evy, a bereaved mom in the EAVT community shares: “No one imagines they will lose a child; we are not told stories of pregnancy and infant loss, despite its prevalence. After losing my son, Theo, at 20 weeks, I understand what a lonely experience it can be. Empty Arms seeks to support those experiencing the heartbreak of pregnancy and infant loss by creating community in a deeply isolating and stigmatized experience. I find healing each time I share space with those who ask me about my son and make a point to speak his name. I feel more connected and understood when I am with others who allow me to bear witness to their own grief. The Remembrance Night was a beautiful recognition of the complex and diverse experiences of losing a baby, a chance to be in community, and a powerful reminder of the memory of our children. Spending the evening honoring the short life of my son in community with others who hold each other in our grief, was not just a beautiful tribute to our babies but a powerful act of loving rebellion in a society that doesn't know how to grieve."

For providers who would like to make a referral to Empty Arms Vermont, with patient permission, please email

Chelsea Levis, chelsea@emptyarmsvermont.org, with the following information:

Patient Name
Patient Contact Info and Preferred Contact Method
Any context about their loss that they are willing to share

After a loss, it can be overwhelming for a patient to contemplate reaching out for support, and their provider offering resources can be a helpful first step for many families.