The HEAL program at Atrium Medical Center will be hosting its annual Steps 4 HEALing Walk and Family Festival on Saturday, June 8, 2019, at Niederman Family Farm, 5110 LeSourdsville-West Chester Road, in Liberty Twp. This walk is a tribute to the inspiration of bereaved family and to the memory of the children they have lost.

“The walk and festival are meant to be something fun and lighthearted for families who have suffered loss and allows them to be with other families that have gone through a similar loss,” said Rachel Fadden, co-coordinator for the Help Endure a Loss (HEAL) Program at Atrium Medical Center. “We want to provide a place for families to have fun after a tragedy.”

Christina Dennin-Mapes and her family have participated in the Steps 4 HEALing Walk and Family Festival for several years, and she appreciates the “family reunion” atmosphere of the event.

“The HEAL festival is a positive environment for families to reconnect with other HEAL families, as well as see some of the medical professionals that have supported us through our journey,” said Dennin-Mapes. “It is the perfect environment for us to bring our daughter, Darcy, to play and meet those who were so special to us when we lost our first daughter, Carolyne.” 

The daily festivities open with the Steps 4 HEALing Walk. Registration is at 10 a.m. and the walk starts at 10:30 a.m. To register for the walk, visit https://www.atriummedcenter.org/HEALwalk/, and download the form. Same-day registration is accepted. All proceeds from the walk will benefit the HEAL program and the families it serves.

The annual Steps 4 HEALing Walk and Family Festival is just one way that Atrium’s HEAL program supports families throughout the loss of a pregnancy or death of a child, said Allison Campbell, HEAL co-coordinator at Atrium Medical Center. 

“We have seen the effects of people not talking about their loss,” Campbell said. “The culture surrounding perinatal loss is slowly changing, and Atrium, through its Help Endure a Loss (HEAL) Program, serves as a source of care and support for bereaved families in a number of ways without cost or obligation, including support groups.”

HEALing Together, a support group for grieving parents, meets the third Tuesday of each month from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the Hilltop OB/GYN office on the first floor of the Professional Building at Atrium Medical Center, in Middletown. 

"The support group offers a safe place for families to express their emotions," Campbell said. The support group is free, and no registration is necessary.

To learn more about the Help Endure a Loss (HEAL) Program, visit www.AtriumMedCenter.org/HEAL or call (513) 974-4056.

HOW TO GO

What: Annual Steps 4 HEALing Walk and Family Festival

When: Walk registration starts at 10 a.m. Walk starts at 10:30 a.m. Family Festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Where: Niederman Family Farm, 5110 LeSourdsville-West Chester Road, Liberty Twp., OH 45011

Walk registration: https://www.atriummedcenter.org/HEALwalk/

MORE INFORMATION

What: HEALing Together, a support group for grieving parents

When: 7 to 8:30 p.m. the third Tuesday of each month

Where: Hilltop OB/GYN office on the first floor of the Professional Building at Atrium Medical Center, One Medical Center Drive, Middletown, Ohio, 45005

About Atrium Medical Center 

Atrium Medical Center (www.atriummedcenter.org) is a full-service hospital and Level III Trauma Center located conveniently along the Interstate 75 corridor at exit 32, One Medical Center Drive in Middletown, between Cincinnati and Dayton. The hospital employs more than 1,500 people in full-time, part-time and on-call positions. Atrium is operated by Dayton-based nonprofit Premier Health, which also includes Miami Valley Hospital in Dayton with additional inpatient campuses at Miami Valley Hospital South in Centerville and Miami Valley Hospital North in Englewood; and Upper Valley Medical Center in Miami County.