Peer companion bedside bereavement support.
Please direct questions about the HUGS program to
[email protected]

What is HUGS?

HUGS volunteers provide support to families who have experienced miscarriage, pregnancy loss, stillbirth, medical termination, or infant death.  HUGS volunteers work closely with area hospitals and clinics and are available "on call" to support newly grieving families.  All HUGS volunteers have personally experienced perinatal loss and are here to meet families where they are in their grief.

BEDSIDE VOLUNTEERS - HUGS Volunteers are contacted by clinic and hospital staff when a family is experiencing a loss. They can assist nursing staff by providing companionship for families, answering questions, and assisting nurses with creating keepsakes. Often all a newly grieving family wants is to talk to someone who has been through this journey before to hear they are not alone and to give them some hope.
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COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS - In addition to providing bedside support, families can choose to have a volunteer follow them once they return home for ongoing support. Community volunteers can continue to provide support for up to 13 months from a loss and can stay in contact with families at the families pace by continuing to answer questions/thoughtful listening, supporting the emotional needs of the family and accompanying families to support group and other activities if interested.

In addition to emotional support, answering questions, and creating keepsakes, our HUGS volunteers present the families with hand-picked keepsakes from Bereaved Parents of Madison, Inc.   
A worry stone for dad (mom or partner if they prefer.) Because some parents grieve more privately.
A book for the family to read to their little one(s). Because this time is precious and short.
A bracelet for mom. Generously donated by Hudson's Bands of Hope. 
HUGS Volunteers:
  • Have all personally experienced either miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant death. ​
  • Are at least 2 years since their most recent loss for bedside volunteers. 
  • Are at least 1 year since their most recent loss for community volunteers.
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"The HUGS Program and dedicated volunteers help to ensure every patient and family that is experiencing a loss has the comprehensive and ongoing support that is needed. Our HUGS Volunteers give so much of themselves and help to fill the gap of what the OB Nursing staff cannot fully provide following discharge.
​We feel blessed to have the HUGS Volunteers as partners in this special care of women and families here at SSM Health St Mary’s Hospital Madison."

Robbie Sonnentag, BSN, MSOLQ
Administrative Director Women's & Children's Services at SSM Health St. Mary's - Madison

HUGS Impact

In 2024, Bereaved Parents of Madison, Inc. marked its 50th anniversary of supporting area families. Read more in this Cap Times article about the group's history and HUGS' impact. 

Click here to watch a Madison TV story that explains what HUGS is doing to support area families and the impact it is having. 

HUGS Volunteers

Volunteer On-boarding
  • All volunteers completed a Letter of Intent as the application process.
  • All HUGS volunteers interviewed with the HUGS Planning Committee that includes: members of the Bereaved Parents Of Madison Inc Board of Directors and members from both Meriter and St Mary's perinatal bereavement teams.  
  • Volunteers will attend a full one-day training on bedside bereavement. Training will be conducted by local professionals as well as HUGS program developers and volunteers.
  • All HUGS bedside volunteers will serve at site-specific hospitals and will receive further volunteer training from that hospital. All bedside volunteers will need to stay current on hospital trainings/education. 
  • All volunteers are required to participate in a 4 hour RTS (Resolve Through Sharing) class through St Mary's Hospital.
History

In the Fall of 2014, leadership from the Bereaved Parents of Madison, Inc. began to work with teams at SSM Health St Mary's Madison and UPH Meriter Hospitals to develop a program to proactively support families that are saying goodbye to their babies through miscarriage, termination for medical reasons, stillbirth, or infant death.

We are so proud that the HUGS program is now active in 3 local hospitals as well as serving the wider community.




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BPoM Board of Directors were instrumental in launching HUGS at St. Mary's, along with these St. Mary's care team, shown here at Resolve Through Sharing (RTS) training in May 2015.

HUGS On-call Coordinators

Our three HUGS Coordinators are on-call to answer the phone: 920-643-0217.
Calls are answered during waking hours. The coordinators rotate on-call duties.

During their service, coordinators:
  1. Answer or return calls for HUGS support. They will learn information about the family.
  2. The coordinator will text "I need a HUG" to eligible volunteers.
  3. Once a volunteer is confirmed, they will communicate the family information to the volunteer and the volunteer information to the hospital.
  4. Coordinators will debrief with volunteers after bedside visits.​​
Emily, Gina and Sam.