From Grief to Purpose: The Story of Callie's Giving Heart from her Mothers Perspective

When you lose a child, the world shifts in ways that are impossible to fully explain. Time continues moving forward, but your heart lives in a place where past, present, and future collide. For me, that place is filled with memories of my daughter, Callie. Her courage, her spirit, and the love she brought into our lives.

In the deepest moments of grief, when nothing made sense, my faith in God became the quiet place I returned to again and again. I didn’t always have answers, and many days I still don’t. But I found comfort in believing that even in heartbreak, God was still present, still working, and still holding our family.

Callie was born with a congenital heart defect (CHD), a condition that affects approximately 1 in every 100 babies born in the United States, making it the most common birth defect. While medical advances have improved survival rates, CHD remains the leading cause of birth defect–related infant death. Families living with CHD quickly learn that life can be fragile, uncertain, and deeply precious. Our family lived that reality every day of Callie’s life.

When Callie passed away, the grief was overwhelming. Like many loss parents, I struggled to understand how to move forward in a world that no longer looked the way it once had. But one thing became clear to me: Callie’s life mattered, and I wanted her story to continue making a difference.

Through that pain, I also felt a quiet pull in my heart; one that I believe was God gently guiding me toward purpose.

That pull led to the creation of Callie’s Giving Heart Foundation.

The Beginning: Love in Action

Starting the foundation was born out of grief, but also out of love. In the early days, the mission felt clear. Inspired by Callie’s journey with congenital heart disease, I wanted to support families walking similar paths; families facing hospital stays, surgeries, uncertainty, and unimaginable decisions.

Looking back now, I can see how God was working through those early steps, even when I could barely see the path ahead. What began as a small act of remembrance slowly grew into something bigger than I could have imagined.

Through the foundation, we were able to connect with families, offer support, and keep Callie’s memory alive through acts of kindness and compassion.

But something unexpected also happened.

As I met more families, listened to more stories, and walked alongside more parents, I realized something important. Child loss does not belong to just one diagnosis.

Whether the loss comes from congenital heart defects, cancer, genetic conditions, accidents, or other medical complexities, the pain families experience is deeply similar. The details of each story may differ, but the heartbreak is universal.

Four Years Later: A New Vision

Four years after starting Callie’s Giving Heart Foundation, I found myself reflecting on what the foundation had been and what it could become.

Grief changes you. Time doesn’t erase the loss, but it reshapes how you carry it. Over those four years, I grew not only as a grieving mother but as someone who had the privilege of witnessing the resilience of many other families.

Through those experiences, I began to sense that God was expanding the vision.

Today in the United States, thousands of families experience the loss of a child every year. Behind every statistic is a family whose world has been forever changed. Parents navigating hospital hallways. Siblings learning how to process loss. Families trying to rebuild life while carrying memories that will never fade.

I realized that while Callie’s story began in the world of congenital heart disease, her legacy could reach far beyond it and that realization led us to reimagine Callie’s Giving Heart Foundation.

A Legacy That Reaches More Families

The heart of the foundation has never changed. It has always been about Callie. It has always been about love; but the mission has grown.

Today, Callie’s Giving Heart is focused on walking alongside families experiencing child loss and end-of-life care, no matter the medical journey that led them there. Our goal is to offer comfort, connection, and practical support to families during the most difficult moments of their lives. In grief, what families often need most is to know they are not alone.

They need someone who understands the quiet moments after the hospital room empties. Someone who recognizes the ache of birthdays that come without a child to celebrate. Someone who understands that love for a child never disappears, it just simply changes form.

Carrying Callie Forward

Callie is still at the center of everything. Her life continues to shape the way I see the world. Her courage continues to inspire compassion. Her story continues to open doors for conversations that many people are afraid to have about grief, loss, and love.

Callie’s Giving Heart exists because of her.

And while the foundation may look different today than it did four years ago, its purpose remains the same: to honor her life by supporting others.

Grief will always be part of my story. But so will hope. Because when love is this strong, it doesn’t end. It simply finds new ways to give. I believe God continues to use that love to bring light into some of the darkest places.

Callie: 9 months old