Walk With You

✨ Volunteer Shoutout: Meet Shay ✨

Shay serves as one of our volunteer photographers, holding space for families during tender moments of grief and loss.

She is a newborn & family photographer in North Liberty, IA and is a mother to four children: Lincoln, Sullivan, Evie, & Hazel. Her daughter Evie is in Heaven and is a major inspiration to why she works with Walk With You. “If I can provide just a small bit of peace and calmness to a family walking through grief and loss, I feel blessed to do so.” 🤍

Go to coffee shop order: iced tea or vanilla cold brew with oat milk. 🧋

Ideal day: adventuring outside with her family. They love to camp, hike, fish, and create memories together. 🎣 🏕️

We are 101 days away from our third annual WWY 5K on Saturday, September 19. Register now before pricing increases on July 1! 🏃🏼‍♀️‍➡️

Whether you're walking, running, or simply showing up in support, this event has something for everyone. Create a team, purchase a name sign, and get ready for some family-friendly fun!
More information is linked in our bio. 🏁

We are excited to introduce our summer intern, Ashley Buckland, OTD! 🥳

Ashley recently graduated from Drake University with her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy and hopes to pursue a career in pediatric occupational therapy. Through Drake's Slay Fund Summer Internship Program, Ashley specifically applied to intern with Walk With You, and we were thrilled when her application was selected for funding.

This summer, Ashley will be supporting both the programming and operational sides of Walk With You. Her work will include assisting with direct and indirect family grief support, resource development, 5K event planning and logistics, data and program tracking, social media, and other behind-the-scenes projects that help ensure families receive compassionate, comprehensive support when experiencing the death of a child.

We're grateful to have Ashley join our team and look forward to the impact she'll make over the coming months. Please join us in giving her a warm Walk With You welcome! 💙

Child Loss does not discriminate. Grief does not discriminate.

No matter where you are in your grief journey, here at Walk With You we believe no one should have to walk alone. Regardless of your background, culture, or set of beliefs, we desire to meet you where you are. Whether you are anticipating the loss of your child, are experiencing the new loss of your child, or are a year out from the loss of your child, we are here to connect you to the support you need.

No family navigates child loss alone. 🤍

You are not alone. Early grief support is important for EVERYONE.

📣We're now accepting sponsors for
the 2026 Walk With You 5K on Saturday, September 19 at Water Works Park!

This family-friendly event raises vital funds to support families experiencing child loss. Sponsorship is a meaningful way to support grieving families and connect with the community.

Interested? Tap the link in bio or email us at [email protected] to get started.

The absolute worst day of your life: the anniversary of your child's death. How on earth should this day be set apart and honored? Or, should it even be?

This is the day where your life was decisively split into a before and an after.

For some of you, your child's loss day is also the same day as your child's birthday, or it's very near your child's birthday. This adds another layer of complexity, because how can you celebrate your child's birthday around the same day they died?

As we continue to get more and more questions from families we've supported on how to acknowledge both birthdays and loss days uniquely, we thought it might be helpful to have a dedicated post to provide some tangible ideas.

Some gentle ways families can choose to honor this day include:

- Visiting a gravesite, memorial spot, or meaningful place
- Lighting a candle, because even in death, their light never goes out 💛
- Sharing photos or memories with family and friends
- Cooking a favorite meal or dessert, or asking a friend to do so
- Writing a letter to your child each year (or the years you feel up to it)
- Planting something to grow in honor of your child
- Listening to songs that remind you of them
- Wearing their color, name, or symbol
- Making a donation or doing an act of kindness in their honor
- Spending the day completely off social media
- Creating new traditions with siblings or loved ones
- Looking through memory boxes, hospital bracelets, cards, or keepsakes
- Watching a movie, reading books, or doing activities you associate with them
- Allowing yourself to do nothing at all
- Buying flowers or releasing petals into water

It can also help to plan ahead for practical care:

- Take the day off if possible
- Lower expectations for productivity
- Let trusted people know the day is approaching and delegate to them
- Decide in advance whether you want company or solitude
- Have easy meals or comfort items ready
- Give yourself permission to change plans mid-day

You are not alone. We are here to walk with you.

Thank you Thrivent, the Iowa Cubs, and all who came out to Principal Park to support Walk With You on Friday evening. ⚾ It was a beautiful evening for baseball and community!