Meet Danielle Reddick | Nonprofit Founder & Full Spectrum Doula

We had the good fortune of connecting with Danielle Reddick and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Danielle, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The thought process behind starting Tiny Hearts Remembered, Inc. in 2021, was due to my personal experience of a blighted ovum miscarriage in 2016. The mission, vision, values, and programs were developed through a needs assessment, research, and lack of resources for those impacted by pregnancy and infant loss. Our mission is to decrease the negative impact of pregnancy and infant loss through support programs, education, and advocacy with a special focus on minority communities. Our vision is to decrease the negative impact of pregnancy and infant loss. Our values consist of change, awareness, service, and empowerment. We focus on pregnancy and infant loss, infant and maternal health, infant and maternal mortality, mental health, and self-care.
Tiny Hearts Remembered (THR) offers two programs: Tiny Hearts Support and Tiny Hearts Advocate.
Tiny Hearts Support consists of 6 subprograms to provide emotional support (Tiny Hearts Heal, Tiny Hearts Care, Tiny Hearts Bonds, Tiny Hearts Share, and Angel Mamas Private Facebook) and financial resources (Tiny Hearts Give) for individuals impacted or at risk of pregnancy and infant loss. Through our Tiny Hearts Heal program, we offer a monthly support group session. Through our Tiny Hearts Care program, our local volunteers create care packages for in-state and out-of-state women in need after experiencing a loss. Each care package includes literature, a teddy bear, a pink and blue pregnancy and infant loss awareness ribbon, and self-care items. Through Tiny Hearts Bond, the organization hosts virtual and in-person events for women and families to come together. Through Tiny Hearts Share, women who have experienced loss can share their stories through a live interview format on social media or written submission. The Angel Mamas Private Facebook is an online community for women worldwide to come together, build bonds, and remember their babies. Through Tiny Hearts Give, our organization will offer scholarships to families who need financial assistance to cover hospital and burial expenses related to their loss.
Tiny Hearts Advocate provides an opportunity for education and outreach through volunteer opportunities, community events, and public support for pregnancy and infant loss awareness. Our goal is to have various “Tiny Hearts Remembered, Inc.” chapters around the world to provide support to those impacted by pregnancy and infant loss.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
When it comes to being a professional, I would say that it has not been an easy road for me. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Human Development & Family Studies from BGSU in 2015. My first professional job was as a Lead Toddler Teacher at a nursery for a few years until I wanted to make a career change and work within the school system. I was an after-school teacher and was promoted to Site Coordinator and I was in that position for a few years before the onset of Covid-19. During this role, I managed to establish a lot of my leadership and organizational skills. This consisted of managing part-time staff, and working closely with the students, their parents, school administration, community partners, and even college interns. This was honestly the most inspirational and rewarding job I had upon the completion of my college journey. During Covid, I was laid off from the Site Coordinator position and that is when I decided to take a different route professionally. I started my nonprofit Tiny Hearts Remembered, Inc. for women who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss, became a Full Spectrum Doula, and also enrolled in Spring Arbor University’s Masters in Social Work program. While in school I received the Social Work Student of the Year and ended with a 3.9 GPA. Along the way, I learned the importance of self-care, time management, and understanding my worth as a person and professional. It was a difficult journey because a lot of agencies did not understand the importance of my attending school full-time and wanting to work part-time. I had a vision for my future and I knew I had to make sacrifices to my professional and personal life to see it through. It was extremely tough trying to manage it all, but in the end, it was worth every obstacle that I had to overcome. I am also a Full Spectrum Doula providing birth, postpartum, and bereavement support to women in the community and I love every aspect of the role that I play working with pregnant and lost moms. Being able to provide them with the emotional support and education that they deserve is vital. I enjoy staying informed on the statistics surrounding loss and black women regarding infant and maternal mortality because it is my passion to spread awareness about situations that impact women who look like me. I am goal-orientated and action-orientated. When I am aware of a problem or situation I create the space to educate myself and identify ways how I can contribute to solving the issues or aid in decreasing the negative impact that the issue is causing. I want the world to know how important it is to acknowledge women who have experienced pregnancy loss and infant loss. We are in control of managing our triggers while on this journey, but society should understand the importance of displaying empathy. Unfortunately, not everyone can conceive let alone carry a child and sometimes individuals do not have the happy ending of taking their baby home with them. I have faith that I will be able to have my rainbow baby (a healthy baby after experiencing a loss) and that is why I allow women who have experienced loss and a healthy pregnancy on my platform to give women hope as well as acknowledge their loss.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
When visiting Toledo, Ohio a few places to eat, drink, visit, and hang out are the following.
-Toledo Zoo -Toledo Museum of Art -Toledo Botanical & Garden -Spin and Splat Art Studio -J. Alexanders -The Heights -Glasscity Metroparks
-Rosie’s Italian Grille -Mancy’s Steakhouse -Dorr Street Cafe -Toledo Farmer’s Market -Toledo Lucas County Public Library (Main Branch)
-Imagination Station -Fifth Third Field -Maumee Bay Brew Pub -Urban Pine Winery -Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurant -St. Julian Winery & Distillery
-Toledo Area Parent newspaper -Caked by Whitney for tasty treats -Jasmine Renee Carswell with Skills in Heels -Mike Williams on Sax -Toledo Funny Bone
-Ottawa Park Amphitheatre -All Strikes Lanes -Hannah’s Soft Serve -Flip the Table Board Game Lounge

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to dedicate my shoutout to a few people. First, I would like to acknowledge God for allowing me the opportunity to transform my pain into purpose to help other women like me who have experienced pregnancy and infant loss. I would like to shout out and recognize all of my board members who work effortlessly to ensure the organization is running smoothly, our volunteers who dedicate their time virtually and locally here in Toledo, Ohio, and those who have supported and financially donated to our organization since 2021. I would like to recognize my sorority, Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc. for all of the support and community service they have provided to my organization. I would like to acknowledge those in my inner circle who have been by my side since I lost my pregnancy in 2016 and create the space for me to share my inner emotions while operating an organization for a bigger impact on others. It means the world to me that so many individuals believe in our mission surrounding a topic that a lot of individuals prefer to not discuss. Lastly, I would like to dedicate my story to my angel baby who made me an angel mom, Blueberry 05.31.17.

Website: https://www.tinyheartsrememberedinc.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tinyheartsrememberedinc/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TinyHeartsRememberedInc/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tinyheartsrememberedinc.3667

Other: https://donorbox.org/tiny-hearts-donate