The story of Missing Alexis and H.E.A.R.T.S. begins with just that unfortunate event - a broken heart. Five bereaved mothers from the Northern Kentucky area found one another after experiencing the painful sorrow of losing their babies. Through a variety of paths, and interweaving losses, these mothers discovered that though the losses of their precious babies each occurred under different circumstances, the pain associated with those losses was quite similar. Thus began deep friendships, and the determination to bring about much-needed support for local Northern Kentucky and Greater Cincinnati families coping with the loss of a baby. Our Board has grown and evolved, and is now a combination of mothers who have endured loss, and volunteers who simply feel a calling to assist grieving families. Their tireless efforts have positively impacted thousands of families right here in our very community.
My name is Erin and I am honored to be serving on the Board for Missing Alexis, LLC. I grew up in Cincinnati and after living in Columbus during college and in Northern Kentucky for a few years after college, I am back to residing in Cincinnati with my family. In 2007, my husband and I were so excited to be expecting triplet boys. Sadly, they were born prematurely and were with us for too brief a time. Andrew lived for a few hours, Jack was born still, and Will lived for 22 days before he died from issues related to his prematurity. We were very blessed to adopt our son Gus in 2011 and Mac in 2013. I am a full time stay at home mom after 13 years teaching high school math.
After the devastating loss of our triplets, I came in contact with several other women with losses and we formed the HEARTS Support Group of Northern Kentucky. Alexis’ mom, Lisa, was one of these women that founded the support group, and how I came to be involved with Missing Alexis, LLC. In the years that ensued, I helped to organize the Northern Kentucky Walk to Remember. I was so grateful for the people and resources that helped me and my husband after our loss. It makes me happy to be serving on the board and helping to promote the mission of Missing Alexis and provide support to other families that are on their grief journey.
My name is Emily Goshorn and I am the Board Secretary for Missing Alexis LLC.
I am a lifelong native of the Northern Kentucky area. I attended the University of Kentucky where I studied pharmacy and obtained my Doctor of Pharmacy degree. I came back to Northern Kentucky after graduation to be near my family and start my career and have now been with Wal-Mart pharmacy for 11 years. In 2011, I married my wonderful husband, Jeff, a firefighter and paramedic with the Greater Cincinnati/Northern KY International Airport. In 2012, we were blessed with the birth of our daughter Avery and a short time later in 2014 we welcomed our second daughter Scarlett.
My journey with Missing Alexis began when I attended the Northern KY Walk to Remember started by my one of my best friends, Lisa Louden. A couple years later, Lisa asked me to join her as a Board member. In the years since, our mission has been to spread the word about our organization and to let women and families know that there are other people in their community that understand their loss. We hope to provide support, comfort, and hope to those in need through our efforts.
Lisa and her husband, Glenn, lost their infant daughter, Alexis MacKenzie Louden, to full-term stillbirth in July, 2004. In 2008, after much thought and reflection upon their loss, they determined that it was crucial that more resources and support needed to be available in the Northern Kentucky community. They founded the Missing Alexis Foundation which became an official non-profit entity in 2013, and is now known as Missing Alexis, LLC.
Through their outreach, Missing Alexis has provided countless resources to local families who have lost a baby during pregnancy or the first year(s) of life. Our Board of Directors have allocated time, money and self-sacrifice to ensure that no family in our community is without the resources needed after the loss of their child. These include the HEARTS Support Group of NKY, the Northern Kentucky Walk to Remember, and 100's of memory boxes given to families at local hospitals immediately after their loss.
Tragically, in December, 2019 the Louden Family suffered the devastating loss of their first granddaughter, 20-day-old, MacKenzie Grace Louden due to complications of extreme pre-maturity. MacKenzie's mom and dad, Andrew and Caitlin are bravely carrying on the legacy of their precious daughter having begun a NICU outreach program, "MacKenzie's Marvelous Adventures." which provides care packages to families whose newborn preemies are facing extended stays in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
The Louden Family deeply believe that the work of the Missing Alexis foundation is critical to this community and we appreciate your support.
BIO COMING SOON!
My name is Kendra Roenker and I am blessed to be a Board Member of Missing Alexis, LLC.
I grew up in Cincinnati but now live in Northern Kentucky, thanks to meeting my husband Bob. We were married in 2006 and knew we wanted children, we were ecstatic when we found out we were pregnant- sadly we lost our first miracle to miscarriage in 2008. When we lost our little one, a dear friend was there for me and she introduced me to several other women who had also experienced the loss of children in various ways. We would meet to talk and we soon realized there was not a support group in the Northern Kentucky area.
Through those initial dinner meetings H.E.A.R.T.S. came to be. Lisa Louden was one of those women- and thanks to her I am now a board member of Missing Alexis, LLC. The opportunity to help raise awareness of pregnancy and infant loss is very important to me, this group is doing that. The subject of pregnancy and infant loss is still taboo to many- sadly though when you experience it firsthand you come to find out how many people you know that have also experienced loss.
Helping others as they go through their loss is a blessing, when you lose a child you don’t ever “forget or move on” but as you heal you begin to live in your new normal.
We will never forget our first miracle- we take comfort in knowing we will see that little one in Heaven one day and it will be like no time has passed. My husband and I have gone on to have a son Colton, he is our second miracle. He was born in 2009 and brings so much joy, happiness and laughter to our lives. I am honored to be on the Board of Missing Alexis, LLC. and look forward to the future and things to come!
My name is Kelly Walsh and I have been appointed to the position of Vice Chair for Missing Alexis, LLC.
I am a lifelong native of Northern Kentucky. I grew up in Villa Hills where I actually went to grade school with three of the other board members, so I have had the privilege and blessing of knowing some of these amazing women for most of my life. I attended Notre Dame Academy for high school and graduated college from Northern Kentucky University. In 2006, I married my best friend, Chris, and we have four beautiful children together- Mackenzie and Matt are our “two legged” kids and Charlie and Maddie are our “four legged” kids.
I am thrilled and honestly, so grateful to be able to be part of this inspiring and much needed undertaking. The Missing Alexis Foundation and HEARTS have already done so much to help families in our community and I look forward to the even more amazing things we are going to accomplish in the future.
Erin Thom lives in Florence, KY with her son's Quincy and Simon and her wonderful husband, Mac. Erin graduated from Notre Dame Academy in 1997. She then went on to school at Northern Kentucky University and graduated from there in 2001 with a bachelors degree in Social Work. Erin then started her career as a social worker as a case manager at an agency in Cincinnati that assisted people that were HIV positive.
Erin went back to school at the University of Cincinnati and graduated with her Masters in Social work in 2008. She currently is the Director of Case Management at HealthSouth Rehabilitation Hospital in Edgewood, KY.