ADA TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Losing a child changed Lindsay Mach's life, and now she's working to change and better the lives of others going through a similar experience.
Mach lost her daughter, Charlie, in May of 2016. Charlie was born with an extra chromosome, causing a second-term miscarriage.
"I was inconsolable. I felt alone," said Mach. "I hadn't known many women who had gone through this experience, and I found a group that helped me tremendously to process my grief and not feel alone."
Through Mach's loss and grief, she turned to a community group in Chicago called Share Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support. When she moved to Grand Rapids in 2018, Mach noticed there wasn't a Share chapter in the area and found it difficult to find help.
"I realized that it's a very big need for women of Grand Rapids to have this support group," said Mach.
Share provides a space for women who have experienced loss to connect with each other and participate in a variety of events, such as vigils and walks. It provides a community for anyone who has experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or a child death shortly after birth. Some chapters also provide a community for women who experience child death later in the son's or daughter's life.
Mach is currently raising funds to begin a Share chapter in West Michigan. The initial fee is $500. Friends and family donated $125, and since then she has been raising the rest of the money through a GoFundMe site.
