top of page

Share Your Stories
All Posts


Counting Blessings in a Blizzard
I stood at the hotel window in a Minneapolis suburb on March 15, 2026, staring at the gray sky and thinking: Never visit Minnesota in winter if you can avoid it. The day before, I had flown in from Denver with filmmaker Susan to interview parents who had lost babies to stillbirth. Our schedule was packed—interviews and B-roll from morning until night—yet the week that followed was filled with chaos, challenges, and also blessings. The security line at Denver International Air
Helen Raleigh
Mar 294 min read


Build Yourself Bigger Around the Hole
A few months ago, RFK Jr. shared a reflection on grief that has lingered with me. At a memorial, he recounted asking his mother, Ethel Kennedy—who had endured profound losses—whether the hole left by a loved one’s death ever shrinks. She replied: “No, it never gets any smaller. But our job is to build ourselves bigger around the hole. We do that by taking the best virtues and character traits of the person we lost, using discipline and restraint and practice to integrate thos
Helen Raleigh
Feb 153 min read


The Parable of the Mustard Seeds
Mustard Flowers Long ago, in the city of Sāvatthi, there lived a young woman named Kisa Gotami. She came from a poor family and married into a wealthy one. For years, she was treated poorly by her in-laws, but when she gave birth to a beloved son, their attitude softened—she finally felt accepted. Tragically, when the boy was just old enough to walk and play, he fell ill and died. Overwhelmed by grief, Kisa refused to accept his death. Carrying his lifeless body, she went fro
Helen Raleigh
Dec 28, 20254 min read


The Legacy of a Hopeful Heart
As parents who have faced the unimaginable loss of our babies to stillbirth, we are denied the profound joy of bringing a living, breathing child home. I vividly recall the day I was discharged from the hospital after my son Lucas was stillborn. While my husband went to retrieve the car, I sat in a wheelchair in the lobby, accompanied by my mother-in-law, Joanne, and a nurse. Just then, the elevator door next to us opened, and a young couple emerged, carefully cradling a car
Helen Raleigh
Dec 3, 20255 min read


The Absence’s Saving Presence
Recently, as I strolled through the park, I was captivated by an episode of “Old School,” a podcast that has rapidly become one of my top picks. In this episode, Nick Cave, a talented Austrian musician and writer, shared his passion for reading “The Adventures of Pinocchio.” This timeless children's classic narrates the journey of a little puppet named Pinocchio, who leaves his creator and father, Geppetto, to embark on exciting adventures. While searching for his beloved pup
Helen Raleigh
Nov 4, 20254 min read


Break the Sound of Silence
“There’s nothing quieter in the world than the sound of a stillbirth,” Emily told me during an interview for " The Due Time ," a documentary on stillbirth. Emily lost her son, Tadhg, in 2019 when she was 39 weeks pregnant. Tadhg was stillborn. Her words struck a deep chord. My husband, Mike, faced a similar haunting moment seven years ago. When our son Lucas was born, a nurse, unaware that Lucas was stillborn, hurried out of the surgical room to congratulate Mike on fatherhoo
Helen Raleigh
Oct 15, 20254 min read


Sponsor Announcement
We are very excited to announce that the Zain Jaffer Foundation has become a major sponsor to our documentary film, "The Due Time." Mr....
Helen Raleigh
Sep 8, 20251 min read


Team Announcement
We are thrilled to announce that Susan Min Zhou, a well-known documentary film maker, will be the director of "The Due Time." Zhou is...
Helen Raleigh
Sep 6, 20251 min read


My stillbirth blindsided me. Doctors and researchers can do better and Congress can help
This post was first published in the Denver Post . My husband and I faced an unimaginable loss when our son, Lucas, was stillborn seven...
Helen Raleigh
Aug 25, 20254 min read
bottom of page