Butterfly Suite Helps Grieving Families
Megan Gargano carried her baby, Luna, for 37 weeks, counting down the time to meet her firstborn in 2019. Then the Richfield resident noticed Luna’s movement decreased and went to her OB-GYN for an ultrasound. She received devastating news — there was no heartbeat, and Luna had died.
She underwent a full labor to deliver Luna with her husband, Anthony, by her side at Cleveland Clinic Akron General. While stillborn babies are whisked away at many hospitals, at Akron General, families can choose to use a Cuddle Cot cooling unit to extend the time they can spend with their baby by hours. Because of the Cuddle Cot, the Garganos were able to remember all of their daughter’s tiny features — her little hands, feet and hair.
“You’re trying to absorb and create as many memories as possible,” Megan says. “The choice is what’s so important because so many people in the past never had that choice.”
The nurses helped set their grief journey in the right direction by helping the Garganos create molds of Luna’s feet, bathe her, dress her, get a lock of hair and take photos. Yet Megan says it was “very triggering” being in the labor and delivery unit surrounded by crying babies and fetal equipment.
That inspired the couple to create the Butterfly Suite to help parents who lose babies connect with them in a separate homelike setting and peacefully grieve. They raised over $30,000, and it opened in Akron General in May 2022. The room, decorated with butterflies, has a private entrance, full-size bed and bassinet with the Cuddle Cot donated by North Canton-based Ashlie’s Embrace. There’s also a bathing area, a rocking chair with books and a Bluetooth speaker and clothing like preemie wraps handmade by Megan.
“What studies have found is that if we give that pregnant patient and their family the opportunity to express grief and to spend time with that baby — if that’s what’s good for them — their healing process is much better,” says Dr. Jennifer Savitski, Akron General chair of obstetrics and gynecology, adding that stillbirth affects about one in 175 births in the U.S.
The Garganos now have a 2-year-old son, Arlo, and Anthony wrote “Penny Goes to the Moon,” a book to tell siblings about infant loss, with proceeds benefiting organizations with related causes.
Recently, a family had to use the Butterfly Suite, and because it was so helpful, they had the baby’s obituary direct donations to the suite. The Garganos hope to launch more suites and make it standard care.
“What I charge hospitals with is the ability to look inward and say, This needs to be a line item in our budget,” says Megan. “I hope that we can build upon that and really change the type of care given.”
To learn how to help support the Butterfly Suite, visit thebutterflysuite.org.