SHARE Atlanta

Some of the moms at SA Women's Meeting

Come Visit SA on FaceBook -Check the "Like" button!

Some pictures of moments within our group..

Group Information - Women's Meeting - 7 to 9 pm; Men and Women's Meeting 7:30 to 9:30 (When we meet.)

NO WOMEN'S MEETING IN OCTOBER 2013.

Email Marcia McGinnis for directions to the meeting

Marcia is the co-founder of SHARE Atlanta. She helped form the group in ‘83 after the death of, Seth, in ‘81 due to anencephaly and the miscarriages of her daughters, Catherine and Elizabeth. She has done virtually every job in SHARE Atlanta, including leading the original group at the Link Counseling Center until ‘90. Marcia and Leon have two sons, Joel and Aaron.

Men & Women's Meeting - Kennesaw GA - 1st Tuesday of the month from 7:30 to 9:30 pm. This group is by Request Only. If you are interested in attending a men/women's group, please email Marcia or Tammy. If we have two or more who are interested in attending, then we will hold this meeting. We want our volunteers and our members to put their time and efforts into gatherings that have interest in them. So, please, if you ARE interested, let us know. Thank you for your support.

Please email the group facilitator to get directions, to RSVP, and to make sure the meeting will be held. Again, it is held only if we are sure there will be members present.

Email Tammy White

Tammy White has been active with SHARE Atlanta since 2004. She has been instrumental in our inservice program as well as our Outreach Programs. She has made and delivered many blankets, been a top walker for our March of Dimes annual outreach and been a key in making our memorial tree program successful. She also participates on SA forums. She and her husband, David are parents to Luke (2004) and Sadie (2007) and Ryan - October 27, 2003 to November 1, 2003. We are fortunate to have her caring guidance in our Kennesaw group.

5 Month Topic Outline..: We have a 5 month rotating meeting topic outline. We do not tell our total story at any meeting. While our topic is the focus, we share parts of our story as we move through the evening. We have plenty of time to share our latest concerns as well as our latest victories in healing. Our goal is to heal, and to learn that we will always hold our precious baby close to us. Even though our topics duplicate twice a year, each meeting is different because our group dynamics change depending upon who is present and personal healing issues of the moment. During each meeting coping and memento ideas are discussed. We learn that our babies will be forever in our hearts.

In our meetings, we acknowledge that healing does happen. We explore ways for it to happen. We are here to embrace one another's healing journey. There are similar ways of coping and similar parts of our stories though each person's journey is unique to him or her. It is a very comforting and healing time together. Marcia McGinnis 6.2013

"Grief and Secondary Losses" - January and June's Topic.

Our primary loss is our precious baby...secondary losses are feelings and concepts like the loss of: innocence, hope, communication with others, self-worth, role of parenting, and a host of others. We will share what these are, how they influence our grief pattern and ways to cope with them. Grief is "doable" as we learn how to better cope. Consider joining us - no manner where along your path of healing you are. We gather insight from those who are at different places on the path.

We will talk about how grief influences our emotions (sadness, anger, guilt, fear, etc.) and ways to identify our feelings and cope with them. We are on the "yo-yo" pattern of grief from the moment we learn about the loss of our child. These emotions tied with the secondary losses are what carry us down the path. Learning to understand what is happening *to* us and how to cope with these feelings and reactions makes grief "doable." We each feel that our pain and subsequent grief is unique to us. In our pain, we often believe that what we are experiencing no one else *really* could share. Our reality is different than others who are grieving. Society would like for us to believe this (and we are a part of that society). Yes, there are parts of each person's walk that are unique, but there is much common ground...more than most understand. As we come to appreciate our new reality and our new *normal*, we don't feel so alone and afraid. Healing gradually happens. While healing is an individual effort, joining together helps us sort through how we might travel our path.

"Grief and Our Relationships" - March and August's Topic

We combine the topics of the two proceeding months (secondary losses - loss of: innocence - role or parenting a living child - self-worth - control - hope and the stages/emotions of grief: sadness, panic, denial, shock, release, confusion, etc) and see how every relationship is influenced by these losses and emotions and that our relationships are reflected in our emotions and losses. We learn more coping skills on dealing with these situations as we better understand the grieving process.

"Grief and Future Choices" - April and September's Topic

We look at how the timeline of grief influences the way we think and reflect about our choices on the path of "what will be." We discuss pre-subsequent pregnancy doctor consultations, birth plans, and other options that parents might be considering. Through the years, SA parents have made many good choices as they walked their path, and it helps to share some of these together. We are blessed with many supportive doctors and caregivers and we offer support as you work to make the decision about a subsequent child.

"The Significance of You and Your Baby" - May and October's Topic

Every child is special..every parent needs "permission to grieve"

Often times parents are made to feel that because our babies are born "too soon" they are not as significant as other children. This is especially true for our babies who are born too soon for us to hold.

At SHARE Atlanta we believe every child is our "child-to-be"-our dream for our future, and we believe that every parent should be given "permission to grieve" their baby. We have also found that society and the medical world often need to fully understand that every child is important and special, and we wish answers to "whys" and "how" to prevent future losses.

Mementos and poems

As we come together at our meetings this month, those who wish to, share special treasures, sonogram and baby pictures, scapbooks, poems, etc. that they might have in their memory boxes. We understand that not everyone has named their baby or has a treasure to hold on to, and we realize that this is a personal decision. We also know that sometimes this is because a parent has been made to feel that such an expression is morbid or unnecessary because "we didn't know" our baby.

Well, we did "know" this child - in some way - or we would not be feeling the pain we are. Recognizing that for what it is, then allowing ourselves to remember, grieve and heal..as we can, in our own personal way ... is what this meeting is all about.

Coping and Different Grief Patterns

At this meeting (and, really at ALL of our meetings) , we express how our baby has made a difference in our lives and how we will never forget their presence. We also discuss ways to cope (many of our activities are for coping) and ways to protect ourselves as we move through our grief. And how a couple's grieving pattern usually varies, and this is normal and healthy.

Please join us and, if you choose to, bring your mementos and pictures.

HTML SA's Memorial Celebration - Angel Garden Memorial Service (some years in Oct.) and Women's Candlelighting: 3rd Wednesday in November at the Women's Meeting at 7 pm. Unless Thanksgiving falls during the 3rd week. Check SA's Updates for Details.

For a better understanding of SHARE Atlanta or Your Grief

I know it takes courage to reach out for support when we are hurting so much.

If you would like more information about our meetings, email Marcia and she will have a SHARE Atlanta Parent Packet sent to you. - no charge.

Please include your name, email, address, and telephone number. Directions to and Dates of our meetings are included in this packet. The PP is for parents after they have returned home from the hospital.

"Online Parent Packet - Meetings & Events, Booklist, Grief Brochure

Return to Main Page

copyright(c)SHARE Atlanta '97-'15

Graphics on this Site are Copyright