Tiffan Yamen

Tiffan Yamen, Co-Founder

May 31, 2003 – this date changed my life forever. That day brought a wrenching heartache and sadness that to this day I cannot fully describe. The weeks and months following it brought dark, scary days of uncertainty. It also delivered amazing, unexpected gifts. A deeper faith, the confidence to speak up, the friendship of four women who understood me and a resolve to ensure no other parent would unnecessarily experience what my husband and I were faced with on May 31, 2003. After an uneventful and healthy pregnancy our daughter, Madeline, was born still at 37 weeks due to a double nuchal cord (knotted umbilical cord).

In those early days I remember telling my family that I wanted Madeline’s life to matter. At the time I had no idea what that meant or what was ahead of me. And then I was introduced, one by one, to the other four founders of Healthy Birth Day, Inc. and Count the Kicks. We met in coffee shops just as five moms, each of us grieving the loss of our baby girls, each of us understanding one another. We pondered two questions: “Why doesn’t anyone talk about stillbirth?” and “Why is stillbirth still happening in this age of incredible medical advancement?”

Our work to advocate for stillbirth awareness and prevention and our work through the mission of Count the Kicks is solid proof of what can be accomplished when we don’t give up on our hopes and beliefs.

“What if we could save one baby?” What started with an innocent idea has become a powerful, life saving movement. Every baby saved, every volunteer who helps us spread our mission, every believer in our work keeps that fuel burning for me. Madeline, my sweet baby, your life has certainly mattered.