Standing with Miles’ Mission: A Community Committed to Compassionate Bereavement Care
Stillbirth is a devastating and deeply personal experience that affects around 21,000 families each year in the United States, roughly 1 in every 175 births. For those impacted, the path forward is often filled with grief, confusion, and a longing for more time.
In Franklin County, Ohio, that path is being transformed.
Over the past six months, representatives from maternity units, bereavement teams, and chaplain services across the region’s hospitals have united to identify and implement best practices for perinatal loss care. On June 17, 2025, the Central Ohio Hospital Council Board of Directors formally adopted a set of Community Standards on Perinatal Loss Care, a comprehensive roadmap to support grieving families with dignity and compassion.
At the heart of this initiative is Miles’ Mission, a nonprofit founded in 2021 to honor the life of Miles and support families navigating the heartbreak of pregnancy and infant loss. Their tireless advocacy and lived experience have helped shape these standards into something truly meaningful.
The new standards cover critical aspects of care, including:
- Offering the CuddleCot to allow families more time with their baby
- Ensuring compassionate communication and shared decision-making
- Providing private spaces and minimizing exposure to triggering environments
- Establishing Perinatal Loss Committees with personal or professional bereavement experience
- Training healthcare staff in grief support, memory-making, and compassionate photography
- Connecting families to funeral, burial, and mental health resources
These standards don’t just set expectations—they represent a cultural shift. One that recognizes the depth of a parent’s grief and the importance of memory, presence, and support in the hours and days following loss.
At Flexmort, we’re honored that our CuddleCot is part of this standard of care, helping to give families the gift of time during their most painful moments.
But more than that, we’re honored to work alongside Miles’ Mission, whose unwavering commitment has helped turn grief into guidance and loss into legacy. Their impact is tangible, far-reaching, and most of all, inspirational.
To review the full standards, visit:
📄 Community Standards on Perinatal Loss Care (COHC, June 2025)