Conversations with Hillary Scarbath

Today we’d like to introduce you to Hillary Scarbath. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Weighted Angels is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that was established in January 2019 by a dedicated group of bereaved mothers with a mission to extend solace and support to families facing the profound pain of pregnancy and infant loss.

Kasie Ballard, a local Bereavement Doula, crafted the first-ever Laken Sloth, a weighted token of love that would set the foundation for our organization. In response to this heartfelt gesture, Kate Crump requested a weighted animal for her beloved son, Ellett, which led to the creation of the Ellett Deer.

Weighted Angels emerged from the shared determination of Kasie Ballard, Erin Miller, Kate Crump, Heidi Anderson, Taylor Louis, Lauren Fuller, and Sarah Berry. Now, five years later, Weighted Angels has expanded its reach to encompass 12 Virginia Peninsula hospitals. We also accommodate a limited number of individual requests each month, recognizing that every grieving family’s needs are unique. Annually, we touch the lives of approximately 500 grieving families.

At the core of Weighted Angels are seven bereaved mothers—Kate, Heidi, Hillary, Crystal, Kayleigh, Lauren, and Rebecca. These remarkable women generously donate their time and expertise to ensure that others facing pregnancy and infant loss know they are not alone.

Weighted Angels stands as a testament to the enduring power of compassion and community. When a family experiences the loss of a child through pregnancy & neonatal loss, the family leaves the hospital with empty arms. Being wheeled out of the Labor and Delivery Unit without your baby is a devastating feeling that no family should ever have to experience.

By providing families with a Weighted Angel, we can fill their arms with something that weighs the birthweight of their baby. While it will never replace their child, we hope that it does provide comfort as they navigate through their journey with grief.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Our journey at Weighted Angels has certainly had its share of challenges, as is common for any non-profit organization. Our inception in January 2019 coincided with the calm before the storm, just a year before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. Much like many businesses and organizations, we too had to make adjustments to adapt to the changing landscape.

The pandemic posed a significant hurdle. To ensure the safety of our team members and maintain the quality of support we provide, we had to temporarily scale back our reach. This meant focusing on maintaining our support at the hospitals we were already serving, which was essential during these trying times.

Another ongoing challenge we face is our commitment to providing our weighted angels free of charge. Because we are a non-profit organization, we don’t charge hospitals or families for Weighted Angels. Instead, we rely entirely on the donations we receive throughout the year to sustain our operations. This financial model presents its own set of challenges, as it requires us to be prudent when expanding our reach to additional hospitals. We must carefully evaluate both the financial feasibility and the production capacity to ensure we can continue to support the bereaved families in our community effectively.

Despite these challenges, our unwavering dedication to our mission and the immense support we receive from our community have allowed us to overcome hurdles along the way. We remain committed to providing comfort and solace to families facing pregnancy and infant loss, and we are grateful for the resilience and generosity that keep us moving forward.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am Hillary Scarbath, serving as the Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Weighted Angels. My journey with this organization began in January 2021, driven by the profound loss of my daughter, Bodhi Magnolia, in August 2020. Bodhi was born at just 22 weeks gestation, living for four precious hours before joining the Lord in Heaven. Bodhi weighed 1 pound 3.2 ounces and was every bit of perfection.

Our family received a Weighted Angel in the hospital, and it has since become a cherished symbol of our daughter’s enduring spirit. Now, the Bodhi Llama, bears her name, honoring our sweet girl’s memory.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.weightedangels.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/weightedangels
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/weightedangels

Image Credits
Weighted Angels