Joseph Keane Fund – Stillborn & Perinatal Bereavement
Joseph Keane Fund – Stillborn & Perinatal Bereavement
Click to Read More on The Joseph Keane Fund
The Joseph Keane Fund Mission:
The Joseph Keane Fund video
Feature Story from Annual Report about the Joseph Keane Fund:
https://foundation.bridgeporthospital.org/a-legacy-in-memory-of-a-life-lost-too-soon/
Click below to view Keane Lecture video held at Bridgeport Hospital on May 18, 2023:
View video of the The Joseph Keane Lecture: Caring for Families Experiencing Perinatal Loss
Joseph Keane Fund Donor Report:
Joseph Keane Fund Report
Jessica and Tim Keane founded the Joseph Keane Fund, which provides
emotional and financial support and services to families and hospital
staff members who experience the unexpected and life-changing loss of a
baby.
On February 27, 2012, after a full-term pregnancy, Joseph Keane was
delivered stillborn at Yale-New Haven Hospital. The couple was
devastated. Thankfully, Jessica and Tim had a strong support network of
family and friends and faith that saw them through their grief.
Jessica knew that there were other grieving mothers and families that
did not have the same level of emotional and financial support. Jessica
approached Yale New Haven Health’s Bridgeport Hospital, where her other
two children were born, to explore the hospital’s needs in supporting
other families as they endure similar heart-breaking losses. The couple
worked with a team at the hospital to design a program to fit their
needs. Since its inception, the Fund has supported over 200 grieving
families.
In addition to carrying on their son’s name, the Fund has been a
wonderful addition to Bridgeport Hospital, as none of the below services
existed prior to the creation of the Joseph Keane Fund.
The Four Areas of Focus:
Patient Resources provided by the Fund include:
- Bereavement boxes – These boxes include a little hat, a onesie, a
picture frame, and a handprint/footprint of the baby. For some, this may
be the only tangible belongings the parents can hold on to. The box
also includes a note that reads, “Made possible through the generosity of the Joseph Keane Fund.” - Camera/printer/supplies – The Fund was able to purchase this for the
hospital as families appreciate having a picture of their baby, which
goes into the bereavement box. - Books – Such books can be helpful to mothers, fathers, siblings, and
grandparents as they grieve the sudden loss of a baby. These reading
materials are offered in both English and Spanish. - Funeral Expenses – Sadly, not all families can afford a proper
funeral for their child, and they are faced with a very upsetting
decision. The Fund is able to assist families in this situation.
Staffing Resources:
Jessica and Tim provided invaluable parental perspective to the
nursing staff. Inspired by surgeon Atul Gawande M.D.’s best-selling book
Checklist Manifesto, Tim and Jessica initiated the idea of
creating a checklist to be used by the staff during the immediate
moments of grief. After partnering with Kelley Reddington’s nursing
staff, Elisabeth Schneider of the Tiny Miracles Foundation, and Leslie
Shanahan of the Hope After Loss support group, the checklist was created
using input from all involved. Today, the five-page checklist is used
to assist nurses and parents navigate the upsetting situation from both
an emotional and clinical standpoint.
Additional resources and ideas were shared at the Joseph Keane Lecture for Perinatal Bereavement
which have been held at Yale New Haven Health’s Bridgeport Hospital and
Yale New Haven Hospital. The Joseph Keane Lectures have been attended
by over 200 doctors, nurses, residents, social workers, and chaplains
from many hospitals across the state, as well as professors from Yale
School of Medicine. Click here for more detail.
Click to Donate to The Joseph Keane Fund
The Joseph Keane Fund is a restricted asset of Yale New Haven
Health’s Bridgeport Hospital Foundation, pursuant to section 501(c)(3)
of the Internal Revenue Code.