I realized that I needed an outlet to be able to deal with Leandra's passing and to make sure her heritage lives on. I was looking for a way to help other parents with similar experiences in memory of our deceased children. The death of my daughter had robbed me of my job and I needed a new challenge to find my inner peace again.

Conversations with other Stärnechind-moms made me realize that many of them were missing clothing for their prematurely born babies. The thought that there are babies who start their final journey without proper clothing or blankets was unbearable for me. I was able to dress my daughter in her favorite dresses, which meant a lot to us. As parents we want to protect our children and make sure that they are comfortable.

On the swissmom.ch, I asked other moms who lost their babies to describe their experiences with regards to clothing for their little angels. It soon became apparent that many hospitals offer something, but many have nothing appropriate for very small babies who were born early. Many moms expressed interest in contributing to this project by providing and creating clothes for these children.  I also met there Nicole Sutter with whom I had exchanged messages of courage and grief.

Dominique Guinot, the third co-founder of foundation Stärnechind, was among those women who contacted me on swissmom.ch. Dominique, Nicole and I founded the project Stärnechind on February 16, 2011. Dominique is our actuary and supports us in administrative matters. Her son painted the star in our logo - many thanks to the little artist!

Our journey will go on, step by step. To achieve our goal to help parents who lost their babies, we rely on your help! We appreciate any support you can give, whether as volunteers or donors. Thank you.

Erika Streuli Oppliger

President Association Stärnechind