Welcome to The Colby Fund, a compassionate sanctuary for those navigating the profound journey of child loss from any gestation in pregnancy to 3 years old. As a 501c3 non-profit organization, we are dedicated to providing unwavering support, free of charge, to families in their time of need in a way that is authentic to them.
Colby's Story
The Colby Fund was established in 2003 after the loss of Leanne and Dave's son, Colby, at 32 weeks gestation. Leanne like any other expectant mother was preparing for her baby by gathering supplies and clothes, cribs and carseats. She had an alligator themed nursery for Colby all ready for him to grace the room. The morning after Thanksgiving, she realized that her baby had not moved in a while. Although she drank his favorite chocolate milk, Colby still gave no wiggles. She reached out to her best friend Tammy who also worked at an OB office and had experienced the loss of her son Gunner 12 years prior. In disbelief she accompanied and arranged for her OB to be bedside to do the ultrasound that would ultimately confirm that Colby's perfect heart had stopped beating.
Their family experienced the aide of what we now call, a stillbirth doula.
With the support they had in Tammy and the devastation of her experience 12 years prior during the loss of Gunner, she encouraged them. She guided conversations and questions with healthcare teams that were used to delivering stillborns to medicated moms. They would "take care of it" without offering for moms to see their babies, in fact they discouraged it most often. With this knowledge, Leanne had time and the courage to ask questions and make choices about when, where and how she would bring Colby into this world sleeping. After his birth, staff went to their historical process of placing his perfect body into an emesis basin, instead they fought for a crib.
That moment changed everything. They said, Colby is OUR BABY, he deserves and will be treated with dignity. HIS LIFE MATTERS.
They washed him, dressed him, loved him and made memories and keepsakes for Dave and Leanne. Just as any new mom and dad should. Tammy took her grief for Gunner and afforded her friend Leanne options she was never offered. She advocated for Leanne, Dave and Colby to have time, mementos, and support to honor his life by not leaving him behind. They chose cremation, had a funeral, and wrote an obituary.
They felt and honored his life and their grief out loud.
While so many had to silently experience pregnancy loss in the shadows of a broken healthcare system and culture. In the obituary they gave people the option in lieu of flowers, to financially support education and training to certify Tammy and Leanne as Bereavement Counselors with Resolve Through Sharing. Leanne and Tammy took that course together because they knew mothers, babies, and families deserved better care during this time of need.
The Colby fund was born alongside Colby.
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