Bereavement Bears

Hope To Give Comfort To Women After Pregnancy Loss

by Georgia Lattas

Taylor Prelac was eight weeks along into her pregnancy when she had an ultrasound in 2020.

The OB-GYN had informed Prelac that her baby was measuring behind, but to not worry.

However, Prelac began to experience bleeding, and her husband rushed her to the ER in Akron.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, Prelac’s husband, Tyler, was instructed to wait in the parking lot and could not be in the hospital room to be with his wife. The attending resident had informed Prelac that her baby was not viable and she must follow up with her OB-GYN in 24 to 48 hours. The family was devastated.

“One in four women go through miscarriage (according to the National Library of Medicine) and it’s really not talked about,” Prelac says. “Women go through miscarriages all the time. When I went through my loss, I had a really hard time. I felt so alone.”

After Prelac’s D&C surgery, her grandma sent her a teddy bear to comfort her as she was grieving her child. This is where the idea for Brooks’ Bereavement Bears came about. She wanted to give women and their families something to hold after going through a loss like hers.

The following year, on the anniversary of Prelac’s miscarriage, she decided to donate bears with ribbons and a message of hope on the bear.

Prelac’s family and friends encouraged her to turn this idea into something even bigger. In October 2022, Brooks’ Bereavement Bears was officially a nonprofit, named after her 21-month-old son, Brooks.

Prelac has given out almost 80 bears and has a partnership with Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital in Canton, MVHC in Cambridge, and Aultman Hospital Canton.

“This bear has really helped so many women be comforted,” she says. “It’s also helped me remember my child as well. I would ultimately love for every hospital in Ohio, every OB-GYN clinic to have one of these bears. That’s my ultimate dream.”

If you would like to donate or reach out to Taylor for a bear, reach out at taylor. prelac@brooksbereavementbears.com or visit brooksbereavementbears.com

Celebrate May with these interactive picture books suggested by Annisha Jeffries, Youth Services Manager at Cleveland Public Library. These books encourage kids to learn through touch, sound, or movement.

Visit cpl.org or clevelandreads.com