Catherine Cares' Heartbeat Bears were designed with the help of Build-A-Bear Workshop. Our Heartbeat Bear has a pocket which contains a recording device. When a baby receives a prenatal or newborn life-threatening diagnosis, our hospital partners record the baby's heartbeat on the device, place the device in the pocket and present the bear to the family. Our Heartbeat Bears provide comfort to families when they do not know how long they will have with their precious babies. Heartbeat Bears help families through the grieving process and are cherished for years to come.
A diagnosis can make one feel isolated. Our Heartbeat Bears let families know they are not alone during their journey.
Our Empowering Families service is a way for families to tell their stories of pregnancy and infancy loss, fertility struggles, and diagnoses scares in blog form on our website. Families- moms, dads, grandparents, siblings, aunts, uncles, cousins- who wish to tell their own stories in order to help others may do so through our website at http://www.catherinecares.org/empowering-families/.
Catherine Cares was started by Wayne and Lauren Turley in December 2014 after their second daughter, Catherine Marie, received a prenatal diagnosis of Trisomy-18. Catherine was born 7 weeks early on December 30, 2014, and lived for an hour. Catherine Cares is her legacy.
Catherine Cares uplifts families of babies facing a life-threatening prenatal or newborn diagnosis by providing Heartbeat Bears. Our Heartbeat Bears are given to hospital partners. The hospital personnel give our services to their patients on our behalf. Locally, we have partnered with Cardinal Glennon, St Louis Children's, Missouri Baptist, St Luke's and Mercy Hospitals. Our services are in 70+ hospitals around the country as well.
Organization name
Catherine Cares
Tax id (EIN)
47-2481550
Mission/Purpose
Health & Wellness
Operating Budget
Micro: $50,001 - $250,000
Service Area
St Louis City
Audiences Served
Women, Children, Youth, Families
Address
440 Rollingwood Ln