Return to Zero: HOPE Founder Kiley Hanish, Support for Pregnancy and Infant Loss
As a provider who specializes in working with reproductive health issues including medical trauma, pregnancy loss, infertility, and menopause, it’s important to me to have great resources to be able to offer to clients. RTZ Hope is an amazing resource for people who’ve experienced loss on their journey to parenthood. Learn more about Kiley, RTZ’s Hope founder below.
Kiley is co-creator of the Emmy-nominated film Return to Zero, which is based on her personal experience of her son Norbert, who was stillborn. The lack of care she received through her son’s stillbirth led her down the path to create RTZ Hope so that other families would have a better experience. She is passionate about transformational growth and healing after loss, helping bereaved parents move towards hope and healing.
Kiley is a neurodivergent occupational therapist specializing in mental health during the perinatal period.
What led you to start RTZ?
In 2014, we released the film RETURN TO ZERO, a story about our personal experience with our son who was stillborn. The film became much more than we anticipated, launching a grassroots movement that has reached across continents and language barriers, galvanizing a global community.
Return to Zero: HOPE is the nonprofit organization that developed organically as a result of the film's positive impact. It is a community of bereaved parents, families, and providers offering inclusive resources and holistic support for anyone whose life has been touched by pregnancy and infant loss.
What kind of services do you provide for those touched by loss during the journey to parenthood?
We offer a variety of resources and services for individuals are touched by loss during the journey to parenthood:
Resources
- Educational Guides
- Printed & Electronic Grief Education
- YouTube Videos
- Newsletter and Blog
Engaging with a Community
- In-Person Retreats
- Virtual Support Groups
- Webinars
- Social Media (including closed Facebook groups)
How do your services help people navigate loss?
RTZ is dedicated to empowering parents to seek whatever paths to healing are right for them. It is an essential part of the grieving process that one does not feel alone or isolated. We offer opportunities to make connections with others who have been through a similar experience. Grief-education is also a core component of our virtual support groups, workshops, and retreats. Finally, no matter one’s beliefs, finding ways to connect with your love, your loss, and your baby are extremely supportive to the grieving process. Everyone has their own unique ways to connect with their loss experience and babies.
What is your favorite part of your job?
It’s a tie between the amazing, authentic relationships that have formed over the years and hearing stories from people who share the positive impact that RTZ has had in their lives.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Fundraising is definitely the most challenging part of my job.
What do you wish people knew about RTZ?
Most people are surprised to find out that RTZ is actually a very small part-time team of bereaved working mothers. Our passion fuels us in accomplishing so much in the limited time and resources we have available, but fundraising is always one of our biggest challenges. I think everyone assumes we're this huge organization with endless funds, when, in fact, we're very small and rely so much on our donors and community for support. Our approach as a nonprofit is unique because we offer such a high level of trained support and resources for bereaved parents and inclusive, grief-informed education and resources for perinatal loss providers - but with this level of offerings comes higher costs, when everyone expects things for free because we're a non-profit. We're always looking for partners and funding to help advance our mission.
How can people contact you to learn more about your services?
To learn more about RTZ, visit our website: https://rtzhope.org
Check out Chelsea’s provider highlight on RTZ’s website!
If you’re dealing with pregnancy loss, infertility, abortion, termination for medical reasons or other reproductive losses, you don’t have to face this alone, help is here. Schedule a free consultation today.
About the Author: Seattle Therapist Chelsea Kramer LMFT
Chelsea Kramer is a Seattle Therapist who works with individual and families facing grief, anxiety and trauma, with special focus on medical challenges, reproductive health, and life transitions.
Learn more about Chelsea’s specialties: grief, anxiety, infertility, pregnancy loss, chronic illness, menopause, medical trauma
Learn more about Chelsea
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