Jillian Atstupenas (She/Her)
Bereaved Parent / Board Member, Parenting After Loss; New Baby Support Group
1) Describe briefly how you got involved with Empty Arms.
My husband and I struggled with infertility for years. In 2020 we finally became pregnant with our very wanted daughter. That all came crashing down around us at the anatomy scan where we started learning our daughter was not well. After meeting with several different specialists we learned that our daughter had severe brain malformations. It was unlikely she would make it full term, and if she did she would live a drastically shortened life span full of pain and suffering. My husband and I made the heartbreaking decision to end our pregnancy so our daughter would only ever know our love. We welcomed Hadley into our arms in February 2021.
Empty Arms was a crucial part of our healing journey. It remains an incredibly important part of our lives.
2) What makes you most proud of the work we do/What do you like most about Empty Arms?
I’m honored every day to be a part of this community and to be able to help loss parents on their darkest days move one step forward.
3) Share a passion in your life and/or work outside of EABS.