Families giving back to Northside
By Julia Georgoff, in her own words
On Aug. 18, 2021, I had an intuition and a gut feeling that something was off. However, I was feeling great (at least for an eight-month pregnant woman) and had no reason to worry as I was just at a doctor's appointment the week prior, where everything checked out perfectly. I chalked it up to being paranoid. The next morning my doctor advised me to come into the hospital and get checked out just in case. …
“I am sorry, your baby has no heartbeat; he is gone”… are the words that I will never forget and changed my life forever on Aug. 19. I will never forget the gut punch of emotion in that moment. … It’s a pain that stays with you forever.
Confused, scared and grieving, I began the process to deliver my son. The next 24 hours were surreal and I was just trying to survive minute by minute. The day I dreamed about was now a nightmare that there was no waking up from.
On Aug. 20 I delivered my sweet and precious son, Austin Ryan Georgoff. He was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen; he had his mama’s big forehead, his daddy’s tiny chin and a full brown head of hair like both of his parents.
I am so thankful that I was able to spend 24 hours with my little Austin. Being able to bond, hold, kiss and snuggle are memories that I will keep for a lifetime. These memories have helped me through the healing process and were encouraged by the bereavement team, H.E.A.R.T.strings, through the Northside Hospital Foundation.
The Georgoff family recently raised nearly $10,000 for the H.E.A.R.T.stings Perinatal Bereavement & Palliative Care program at Northside Hospital in memory of Austin.
This special team is made up of volunteers, staff and nurses that receive training through the H.E.A.R.T.strings nonprofit program. They provide care boxes that include pictures of your baby, foot/handprints, stuffed animals, blankets, baby clothes, birthstone trinkets and other small items in your baby’s honor. I know these things seem small, but I can attest the pictures and memory box items are the things that have helped me get through the most difficult minutes, hours, days and weeks of my life. The H.E.A.R.T.strings program also provides free peer mentoring programs, monthly support groups and an annual day of remembrance in mid-October to support National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Month. These services are free of charge to any family that needs support.
*The health story shared here is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Patients should consult with their own physician before making medical decisions.
