Junior at 6-days-old

Chris, Sr., Danielle and Junior

Clarissa Doggett and Danielle

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History
In July 2015, Christopher Jones, Sr. and Danielle Lewis Jones had their first and only child, Christopher Jones, Jr. “Junior,” as he was affectionally called, was born with multiple congenital abnormalities due to a genetic defect. At 10-days-old, his short life on earth ended, but his purpose was only beginning. Out of a desire to help other parents who had suffered pregnancy and infant loss, Danielle started the Angel Baby Network with support from Clarissa Doggett, a friend who had experienced child loss due to her son being born still,  and encouragement from Junior’s dad and Danielle’s then-husband, Chris, Sr.

Mission
Our mission is to help parents who have endured a pregnancy and/or infant loss and to give them a hand to hold as they walk through such a devastating time in their lives.

Vision
Our vision is to connect parents, social services workers, medical professionals and licensed psychologists in Northern Kentucky, Cincinnati, Dayton and ultimately, across the country, to walk parents through the death of their child.

Purpose
We exist to ensure that parents do not go through the death of their child alone by offering resources where they can get the help they need and social gatherings where they can connect with other parents who can identify with their circumstance.

How Does It Work
By connecting with birthing hospitals, maternal fetal medicine high-risk clinics and children’s hospitals the Angel Baby Network will serve as a peer-to-peer group where parents who have lost a child can be referred to. If desired, upon referral, a person or couple who have lost their child will be referred to a person or couple who is already a part of the Angel Baby Network and who are at least six months beyond their child’s loss to be their “buddy.” In addition to this, the Angel Baby Network will meet once every other month to engage its members in a relaxed/fun/social activity or gathering where they will meet so they can identify with each other. At each gathering a licensed psychologist will be present in case a person or a couple needs information about additional mental health and emotional support. Information about local social services agencies and other local support groups that help parents who experience the loss of their child will also be available.

Information and Statistics on Infant Mortality (Death)
*Information retrieved from the CDC’s webpage about infant mortality.

Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is the number of infant deaths for every 1,000 live births. In addition to giving us key information about maternal and infant health, the infant mortality rate is an important marker of the overall health of a society. In 2020, the infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births. (See Mortality in the United States, 2020).

Causes of Infant Mortality

Almost 20,000 infants died in the United States in 2020. The five leading causes of infant death in 2020 were:

1. Birth defects.
2. Preterm birth and low birth weight.
3. Sudden infant death syndrome.
4. Injuries (e.g., suffocation).
5. Maternal pregnancy complications.

For more information, please visit this site.