The Loss Mother's Stone

In Jewish tradition, placing a small stone on a grave is a quiet act of remembrance and a gesture of respect. It speaks of a visit made, a love that still lingers, and honors the one who is lost. Flowers will wither and drift away, but the stone remains—solid, steadfast—like memory itself, and is a symbol of something everlasting.

These mothers’ stories are their stones. Though their children never lived in this world, they existed and will never be forgotten. 

Every year, more than 20,000 pregnancies, or 1 out of every 175, are lost at 20 weeks or later (National Institutes of Health, 2023). The NIH still decries stillbirths as a "major public health concern" in the U.S yet unlike many of our international peers where stillbirth rates have fallen significantly over the last twenty years, the rates in the U.S. have fallen by less than 10%. Despite this knowledge, there continues to be a reluctance in the U.S. to discuss the issue openly, with some people afraid that merely mentioning the words "still birth" might make it a reality.

We cannot look away. By drawing awareness to these stories and paths taken in the journey of healing after trauma, the goal is to educate not just those going through pregnancy but the general public, friends, doctors, public officials and specialists to change the outcome for as many expectant mothers and families as possible and to hopefully play a role in reducing bias in care and infant mortality.

Movement matters. Educate yourself and ask questions. Trust your instinct. Speak up and advocate for yourself and those you love because preventable stillbirth is real and there are things we can do.

If you are a loss mom and want to learn more about this project or get involved, please reach out to Nancy at nb@nancyborowick.com

This project is currently being exhibited at the 2025 Photoville Festival in NYC June 7th-June 22nd with a special tour of the show with Nancy on June 14th @ 3pm. Details here.