Inmates crochet animals for bereavement program at JMCGH

Staff reports

Each week, inmates in a Crochet Class at CoreCivic's Whiteville Correctional Facility stitch handmade items to donate to local organizations within the community. 

This week, the inmates donated crochet stuffed animals and blankets to the Butterfly’s Embrace Perinatal Bereavement Program at Jackson-Madison County Hospital in Jackson. The handmade items are used by the hospital’s bereavement team to provide special memories to the families they serve. 

Families served through the program at Jackson-Madison Hospital typically have only a couple of days to make a lifetime of memories with their baby. The donated crocheted animals and blankets are used as part of the photography of the babies, and then given to families as a keepsake to take home with them.

"Unfortunately, our families have a lifetime of memories to make in a day or two. These handmade items will go home with them while their babies will not,” said Tammy Hardee, a representative from West Tennessee Healthcare. "[The inmates] are playing a large part in providing comfort and love to these grieving parents at one of the worst times of their lives. Thank you all again for doing this for our program!"