The second annual 1 Pitch Men’s/Co-Ed Charity Softball Tournament, benefitting the H.E.A.R.T.strings Perinatal Palliative Care Program at Northside Hospital, was held Saturday, Nov. 2, 2013, at Central Park in Cumming. Eight teams, more than 100 people, participated in the event, which raised money to help families cope with early infant loss. Through team registrations, T-shirt sales, concessions, and corporate sponsorships from Refrigiwear and Mills Fuel, the event raised more than $1,500 for the H.E.A.R.T.strings Program at Northside.
The H.E.A.R.T.strings Program at Northside Hospital provides support for families that have received a life-limiting diagnosis for their baby. Members of Northside’s Perinatal Bereavement, Chaplaincy and Special Care Nursery teams work alongside families to develop a care plan based on their wishes for their unborn children. The goal is to prevent and relieve suffering, while promoting and supporting the best possible quality of life for infants and their families.
“When going through preparing for a loss of this magnitude, it’s hard to see the light at the end of the tunnel,” said Amber Jarrard, of Dahlonega, co-organizer of the softball tournament. “[In our situation] it was extremely helpful to have someone there who knew what questions to ask and what needed to be done… The amount of love and support was humbling.”
Amber was 16-weeks pregnant when she and her husband, Jonathan, learned that their unborn child would not survive. The baby had Triploidy, an extremely rare chromosomal disorder. On November 3, 2011, at 28 weeks, Chandra Reece Jarrard was delivered via cesarean section. She was the couple’s second child and lived just 20 minutes. The 1 Pitch Men’s/Co-Ed Charity Softball Tournament is held in Reece’s memory.
According to the American Pregnancy Association, more than two million women endure pregnancy loss each year. After the Jarrards found out about Reece’s condition, they were referred to Northside’s H.E.A.R.T.strings Program.
“We are grateful to the Jarrard family for their courage in helping to raise the level of understanding and compassion for families experiencing perinatal loss and for their continued support of our H.E.A.R.T.strings Program,” said Melissa Sisson, director of women’s services, Northside Hospital. “Their generous donation will go far in providing support for other families.”
For more information about how to support the H.E.A.R.T.strings Perinatal Palliative Care Program at Northside Hospital, visit give.northside.com.
