October 25, 2015- The Luca John Foundation announces its partnership with Patchwork Bear giving families who have lost an infant a memory of their child they can hold onto forever. The Patchwork Bear will donate a bear made out of clothing or blankets that belonged to the infant to families the Luca John Foundation helped financially and emotionally.
“Suffering the loss of an infant is an unimaginable tragedy. It is in those times that we often feel alone and scared. While these bears will not bring back a lost love, by using the child’s clothing we hope they provide a small sense of comfort” says Kevin Baranowski, President of the Luca John Foundation.
In 2004, Jennifer Cura founded Patchwork Bear to create memorable items that are unique and personal. Originally, Cura simply created quilts and bears out of baby clothes or blankets, but expanded to making tooth fairy pillows, photo memory quilts, wedding dress quilts and full nursery designs. Now, families working with the Luca John Foundation will receive a kit from Patchwork Bear. Parents can put a few pieces of clothing or a blanket belonging to their infant in the kit and send it back to Patchwork Bear where the bear is made.
The partnership is a welcome addition to the Luca John founders, Kevin and Nickie Baranowski who lost their infant son in 2006 to a rare form of skeletal dysplasia. Inspired by the generosity they received from their community at the time of Luca’s death, the Baranowskis formed the Luca John Foundation as one of the only national non-profits to provide emotional and financial support for families who have lost a child under the age of 12 months.
To schedule an interview or find out more about Luca John’s partnership with Patchwork Bear, contact Cynthia Yoder at (866) 613-2716 or via email at cyoder@ljfvolunteer.org
Press Contact:
Kevin Baranowski or Cynthia Yoder
(866) 613-2716
cyoder@ljfvolunteer.org
www.lucajohnfoundation.org
