Bridget’s Cradles concluded our Shine Their Light fundraiser held during October Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness month.
We had set a goal to raise $50,000, and we are pleased to announce that we not only met that goal but exceeded it!
Together, we raised $51,883 to comfort grieving families!
We couldn’t have done this without each person who so generously donated to the Shine Their Light fundraiser. Each gift will impact the lives of bereaved families by shining a light in the darkness of their grief.
The Shine Their Light fundraiser gives bereaved families the opportunity to fundraise in memory of their babies in Heaven to bless and comfort other families who knew the same pain and heartache as them. Each year we award the team who raised the most funds (*excluding Board members' teams) with the Wave of Light award.
This year, we are honored to announce the winner of the 2023 Wave of Light award:
Brandon and Sara Horton
In memory of their sons, Charlie, Cooper, and Camden, they raised $3,210.
Sara Horton: "We are the parents to five boys, Charlie, Brayden, Bentley, Cooper, and Camden. We are blessed to have two living sons, Brayden, who is five, and Bentley, who is three, while our other three sons, Charlie, Cooper, and Camden, reside in the presence of God in Heaven.
Charlie was born on June 21st, 2017, at 10-and-a-half weeks. Cooper was born on September 9th, 2022, at 13 weeks and five days, and Camden was born on March 2nd, 2023, at 14 weeks. I first heard about Bridget’s Cradles while working as the perinatal bereavement coordinator at a large hospital in Arizona.
At that time, I was unaware of all the ministry opportunities Bridget’s Cradles encapsulated. It wasn't until I delivered our fourth son, Cooper, that I was provided a perfect little cradle for him and learned more about Bridget’s Cradles.
After having Cooper, I was thrust back into reality, having to care for our two living boys while trying to finish the last three weeks of nurse practitioner school, along with dealing with gallstones, which I then had to have removed one-and-a-half weeks after delivering Cooper.
Despite these trials, the Lord continued to meet us exactly where we were at and lovingly guided us as we clung to His promises and eternal hope. We found out in December that we were pregnant again, only to be met with the same devastating outcome in March. It was sheerly déjà vu, but not the kind you want to relive.
Right before we found out about Camden's passing, I was strongly considering joining the March Hope Online support group meeting. I knew I needed to be a part of a community that not only understood the pain of losing a child and the anxiety and fear of a current pregnancy, but one that would help support and strengthen my walk with the Lord while dealing with grief.
Camden was born on a Thursday and that following Tuesday I attended my first Hope Online group. I was at a crossroads where my grief and present reality were going to shatter me and my faith in God, or it was going to push me to be a stronger, more faithful Christian.
I was so broken and could barely speak through my tears, but I was welcomed with such great love and support from Ashley and every other grieving momma that attended that night. It was then and there my eyes were really opened to Bridget’s Cradles and the importance of their Christ-centered ministry.
I then began listening to podcast episode after podcast episode, simply trying to glean every ounce of hope and truth from Ashley and her grieving guest mommas. I vividly remember listening to Episode Number Five one day while taking my two-year-old on a walk to the park.
I was still so fresh in my grief and I was fighting so hard to cling to Christ and was instrumental with what my family's future was going to look like. Ashley's conversation with Kristin was instrumental. They were discussing that though we may ask the Lord for good things like a child, we have to determine who God is to us even if His answer is no.
I had to honestly ask myself if God was really my all in all, even if I never have another living child, even if something happens to my living child, and even if, well, I think we can all fill in the blank. Coming to the point where I had to humbly admit and confess that God's goodness in my mind was hinged on Him giving me what I desired was pivotal in my spiritual growth and healing.
From that very first support group meeting, the powerful podcasts, and every other interaction with Ashley, my heart has been overwhelmingly blessed. The cards and mementos they have sent me over the last seven months have been invaluable.
Just as with most grief over time, friends and family forget that there is long-standing pain and grief associated with losing a child. They forget that certain milestones are quite triggering. Yet Ashley and her team at Bridget’s Cradles don't allow those dreaded milestones to go without a prayer, support, and often a card.
I don't know where I would be in my grief and walk with the Lord if it wasn't for the ministries of Bridget’s Cradles. It is so humbling and such a privilege to have raised this money in honor of Charlie, Cooper, and Camden to help Bridget’s Cradles continue their mission of providing the hope of Christ to grieving mommas who have lost a child.
I am so grateful for all of those who graciously donated to Bridget’s Cradles on behalf of our sons. Ultimately, I thank the Lord for His sovereignty and providence in my life and each of your lives, because it has brought us here tonight, which means the ministry of Bridget’s Cradles has brought support and Christ's hope to your shattered lives and dreams, just as it has to ours. Thank you."
Brandon Horton: "One of the things that we've learned together going through these experiences is that the grief process looks different to each individual.
Through the support Sara has received from the ministries of Bridget’s Cradles, it has allowed us to grieve in our own unique ways while growing closer together and with God. I have really appreciated the support group as it helps Sara navigate these emotions and facilitate the healing process to support her in ways that I cannot."
Below you will find our Wave of Light 2023 Feature Film which shows a snippet of Brandon and Sara's speech:
[Brandon and Sara's full acceptance speech is also recorded on our Cradled in Hope podcast in a special episode devoted to our Wave of Light 2023 event. You can listen to that episode here.]
Thank you so much, Brandon and Sara, for shining a light in memory of your sons, Charlie, Cooper, and Camden.
We also want to thank the following Memorial Sponsors and Shine Their Light teams for fundraising:
Bridget’s Blessings (Matt & Ashley Opliger) raised $9,527 in memory of their daughter, Bridget Faith Opliger
Jack’s Pack (Jake & Casey Siegrist) raised $6,128 in memory of their son, Jack Monroe Siegrist
The Horton’s 3-C Heaven Crew (Brandon & Sara Horton) raised $3,210 in memory of their sons Charlie, Cooper, and Camden Horton
Alan’s A Team (Matt & KC Tregoning) raised $3,157 in memory of their son, Alan Monroe Tregoning
Price-Coulter Team (Steven & Hilary Price-Coulter) donated $2,100 in memory of their daughter, Eva Grace Price-Coulter and Her Siblings in Heaven
Gabriel & Louisa Markley donated $2,100 in memory of their babies in Heaven, the Markley Babies
Kate Fish raised $1,549 in memory of her twins, Ethan and Hayley Fish
Parker’s Promise (Jimmy and Annie Kaiser) raised $1,236 in memory of their son, James Parker Kaiser V
Tom & Kami Anderson raised $1,151 in memory of their children, Cooper Dean Anderson and Baby Anderson
Kalbach Family Fundraiser raised $1,052 in memory of Audrey Elizabeth Kalbach
David and Mattie Steinhilpert raised $804 in memory of their daughter, Sloane Eloise Steinhilpert
Talia’s Team (Brad & Jennifer Weaver) raised $750 in memory of their daughter, Talia Weaver
Jay & Tabitha Willis donated $515 in memory of their daughter, Sarah Evelyn Willis
Thomas’ Tribe (Laura Ondrovich) raised $504 in memory of her son, Thomas Stephen Ondrovich
Taylor’s Team (Corey & Maria Childs) raised $488 in memory of their daughter, Taylor Anne Childs
David’s Lasting Light (Jon & Kelcey Crone) raised $342 in memory of their son, David Bruce Crone
Ashley Sherwood raised $326 in memory of her son, Hudson Tait Sherwood
Each of these teams' donations played a vital role in the success of our Shine Their Light 2023 Fundraiser! We are now equipped to serve bereaved families in the weeks and months ahead with cradles, support, and resources.
If you haven’t had the chance to watch the Wave of Light feature film or listen to the special Wave of Light bonus episode with the Reading of the Names, click on the links to do so now!
For everyone who participated in the Shine Their Light fundraiser this year, thank you for shining your baby in Heaven's lights!
We look forward to hosting this special opportunity again next year for Wave of Light 2024. Mark your calendars for Tuesday, 10/15/2024!
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