A message from the Founder, Joanne Cacciatore, PhD, LMSW:

I started the MISS Foundation in 1996, nearly two years after the death of my infant daughter, Cheyenne. The vision I have for this organization is to help support, embrace, and assist others along the journey of grief after the unthinkable -- a child's death.

These boards are just one function of the hundreds of incredible things the MISS Foundation and its volunteers offer the community. Take time to peruse the entire site- there is so much helpful information, articles, poetry, resources, and ancillary projects!

Most importantly, please help share our vision by being kind, gentle, and loving with one another. The experience of grief itself is a very selfish journey. Sometimes, it may seem as if no one can imagine our pain; that our pain is worse than everyone else's. One of my favorite quotes by Martin Luther King, Jr:

"We may all have come on different ships, but we're in the same boat now."

Empathy, kindness, understanding, and compassion will not only enrich your life in receiving, but also in giving.

As you walk this grief path, you do not walk alone. And the person you help in turn will one day be strong enough to help another one day. That will be the legacy of your child and mine, touching lives from city to city, state to state, nation to nation, through this generation and future generations to come. They live on through our love~ children who lived, who died, and who, even in death, continue to matter.

In Support & Sympathy,

Joanne Cacciatore, LMSW, FT
CEO, MISS Foundation
Mother of four who walk, one who soars!

Please observe the following guidelines when posting on the MISS forum boards:

1. 
   Membership is limited to bereaved family members suffering the loss of a child at any gestation or age. We are very sorry for your loss.
   

   
   

2. Our board members provide support during one of the most difficult experiences imaginable - the loss of a child. We thank you for respecting the feelings of others.
   

   
   

3. We require members to have a valid working email address in order to maintain membership. Users must provide us with their full legal name. One account allowed per user.

   
   

4. Participation is vital to the welfare of the boards. We require that members become active through posting. .
   
   

   
   

5. We request that members refrain from using the boards as a personal blog- bulletin board as this detracts from the give and take nature of support.
   

   
   

6. No profane language please.

   
   

7. Should the topic of your post be especially sensitive, such as autopsy questions, please note in the "topic" area the nature of the sensitivity.
   

   
   

8. The MISS forum boards are moderated and as such, all posts are moderated. Every post on the MISS forums is recorded, saved and backed-up daily. Chat Transcripts are also recorded. When necessary, the Moderating Team has the ability to edit, move or remove posts. Should you have a question or complaint for a Moderator, please utilize the Private Message system. Moderators reserve the right to remove any post that may disrupt the equilibrium of the boards.

   
   

9. Private Messaging (PM) is a privilege offered to MISS forum board members. If you suspect another of abusing this privilege, do contact a Moderator for help. In the event of serious infractions by a member, the MISS Administrators reserve the right to review PM’s from or to any member.
   

   
   

10. To gain the most from the forums, we recommend that members use proper grammar and sentence structure when posting at MISS. Writing in text message format, typing in all caps, forgoing paragraphs or using slang can create difficulty for your readers. We encourage you to care for your fellow bereaved by writing respectfully. For further reference on Netiquette Etiquette, visit www.albion.com/netiquette/corerules.html
    

    
    

11. Should you find a post offensive, do refrain from responding in anger. Please approach the Moderators with your concerns. An assessment will be made and when necessary, appropriate action taken. Unsupportive posts will be removed.
    

    
    

12. News stories are not to be posted on the forum boards. Should you feel something is in need of sharing, please contact a Moderator.
    

    
    

13. No solicitation, spam, or services for sale are allowed on the forum boards, in Chat Room or through the Private Message system.
    

    
    

14. Posting medical information or advice without the prior authorization of the Administrators is forbidden.
    

    
    

15. Should you be a non-bereaved doctor, nurse, reporter, writer or other, we require you to request permission to access the boards. You may send your request to MISSforum@MISSfoundation.org.
    

    
    

16. Everything posted on the forum boards becomes the property of MISS and the post author. Nothing is to be removed, copied or posted elsewhere on the internet without permission from MISS and the post author.

    
    

17. If you wish to discuss an issue or moderator action, you may send a PM to a moderator. Please do not complain on the boards. Repeated attempts to circumvent moderation or bullying of moderators is not acceptable and could result in the cancellation of your membership. The MISS founder, administrators and moderators are bereaved parents first, volunteers second. Consider them friends and mentors within this community.
    

    
    

18. Failure to abide by the MISS Foundation's posting guidelines can result in the cancellation of your membership. By registering an account, posting and using the PM system on the MISS Forum Boards you indicate your agreement with these policies as outlined.
    

    
    

MISS is a not for profit volunteer based organization. We thank you for positively supporting MISS, respecting the Moderating Team and for remembering that Moderators and Administrators are a dedicated group of volunteers who are bereaved parents.

Each of us experiences grief in our own unique way. We thank you for your empathy of others when reading and responding to posts. Sadly, we welcome you to the MISS Foundation.