“Finding Fireflies: Gifts from Graham” was started in 2020 with the intention of bringing light to mothers experiencing the loss of an infant.
The founder of Finding Fireflies: Gifts from Graham, Kelli Stewart, unexpectedly suffered the loss of her son, Graham, at 21 weeks. Though it was an incredibly difficult time for her family, she was in awe of the outpouring of support she received from so many. It was this love and support that helped her and her husband cope with their loss in the best way they could.
As time went on, she felt compelled to pay it forward and help others going through pregnancy and infant loss. With the help of friends, she started developing "Finding Fireflies" and the idea of sending care packages to hurting moms and their families. Like fireflies which light up the dark, Kelli wanted to bring light to moms in a time of darkness. Items to be included in the packages were thought through carefully by researching gifts for grieving, talking with other’s who experienced infant loss, and Kelli’s own experience with gifts she received when she lost Graham.
In addition to her own experience, Kelli is a NICU nurse and is exposed to infant loss through her job as well. This connection inspired her to not only send personal care packages that are specifically requested, but also provide pre-packaged boxes to her hospital’s Neonatal ICU and Labor and Delivery units. This way, moms who lost their baby would leave the hospital with the supportive items in the package as they began their grieving process at home.
The organization was announced via social media on October 1st, 2020. On Graham’s first heavenly birthday (October 26th, 2020) ten care packages were delivered to the hospital. Within the first two months of announcing, 13 care packages were sent to moms who were nominated by a friend or family member. The organization continues to keep the Labor and Delivery and Neonatal ICU units stocked with boxes and receives multiple requests every month for packages to send. Currently, over 500 care packages have been donated to moms locally and across the country. To find out more about the packages, click here.
Graham’s legacy will forever live on in our hearts, in our home, and through this organization. In December 2020, we were blessed by God and our Angel baby Graham with our rainbow baby girl, Claire. We were blessed again with a little boy, Emmett, in 2024. Graham has inspired us to support moms as they grieve the loss of their baby. We hope Claire and Emmett will inspire moms of loss by representing the hope that there can be life after loss. - Kelli
“A baby born after loss is not a replacement. They are the newest member of an already beautiful family.”
