Board of Directors
Cara Tyrrell, – Founding Director / Board President: Cara is mother to three beautiful daughters, two here on earth and her first, Emma Grace, 10 years in heaven. In 2009 she took the year off from her teaching position to start Share Southern Vermont, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support. Cara is the facilitator for the monthly support meeting in Rutland. She sits on the planning committees for all SSV’s annual events and provides on-site support at local hospitals at the time of loss. She also travels New England delivering inspirational talks and training perinatal loss staff who work directly with loss patients. Cara also explore her grief journey through writing and has books she hopes to publish for grieving communities across the nation. Cara has a long term vision for SSV and is committed to see each support goal achieved.
Laurie Birmingham, – Board Director / Vice-President: Laurie is mother to four children, two who left this world too soon. She resides in Chester, Vermont, and focuses her time on raising her two living children and the joys they bring. She joined the board of SSV one month after its conception and has been a defining force in planning and executing the first annual Walk for Hope and Remembrance, the Wave of Light candle lighting ceremony on National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day and the first annual Bowling for Babies, a celebration of family.
Sandie Fischer, – Board Director / Secretary: Sandie is a mom to nine precious children. Her first, a daughter Jessica, was born and grew angel wings in March of 1986. There are six cherished angels who never got the chance to be born, and two wonderful sons who live here on earth. Sandie is the Surgical Coordinator at Springfield Hospital. Until she found Share Southern Vermont she had lived with no form of grief support and no one to talk to regarding her losses. Last February, a friend gave her a copy of an article in the newspaper about Cara Tyrrell and her newly established support group. Sandie immediately emailed Cara her story and quickly became a board member. After 23 years she has finally found the support she has desperately needed and solace in memorializing Jessica. Sandie is passionate about helping others through their grief as well as strengthening ties with the hospital and the community.
Gretchen Lunderville, – Board Director / Facilitator ~ Grief / Loss Group in Chester, Vermont: Gretchen is mother to three children, two here on earth, and her first, Noah, nine years in heaven. Her family moved to Southern Vermont in 2004, removing her from the support group she utilized out west. After seeing a flyer for the Mother’s Day memorial walk she attended her first meeting and found that she had a great deal to offer Share Southern Vermont. Since joining the board she has been a driving force in creating working relationships with the community, local hospitals, and is looking forward to attending the Sharing and Caring National Grief training this fall, making her the second board member certified to provide on-site grief care.
Jessica Abbott - Board Director: Jessica became involved with SHARE after her losing her firstborn son, Samuel, who was born on October 10, 2008. Samuel left this world shortly after his birth. A Vermont native, Jessica and her husband live in the Rutland area with their second son, who was born in 2010. Jessica is committed to keeping her son’s memory alive and helping other parents do the same for the babies they have lost.
Ariel Darby – Board Director: Ariel Darby grew up in Fair Haven, Vermont. She went The Sawyer School in Hartford, Connecticut and achieved an Associates degree with Travel, Toursim, and Hospitality and Hotel and Restaurant Management. She had her first son, Ashton
House in 2000. In 2001 Ariel met her husband Ryan Darby. They welcomed their first child, Hannah Darby into the world in April of 2004 after a miscarriage only a few months before Hannah was conceived. At the age of 3 1/2, Ashton House was diagnosed with Adrenoleukodystrophy and Addison’s Disease. Ashton was enrolled into a case study in Baltimore, MD where the use of a low-fat diet and Lorenzo’s Oil is a hopeful alternative to a successful healthy childhood.
In July of 2009 Ariel had another miscarriage. This brought about maternal feelings of trying for another child. Adrenoleukodystrophy presents itself in either childhood (birth to 10 with death resulting) or later in adulthood (mobility issues, incontinence, memory loss, blindness, etc.). There is no way of knowing when the disease will present itself and the risk of passing the disease on as a carrier means a 50/50 percent chance of conceiving an affected child. Praying for a healthy boy, Ariel and Ryan tried for another baby and were very excited to hear they conceived a baby boy, Brett Nathaniel, at 13 weeks. The next day more news came that the baby boy they so wanted had Adrenoleukodystrophy. Knowing how sick Ashton got with his Addison’s and knowing it would mean worrying every day about how long they would be able to keep him, Ariel had to make the decison no mother wants to make, to terminate the pregnancy.
There is some comfort in knowing that they made the right decision for the baby’s healthy and in wanting the best life possible for him. The decision weighs heavy on the Darby’s mind and they will forever miss the baby boy they saw only a week before on the ultrasound. Despite several denials for invitro to ensure conceiving a healthy son, Ariel is still working very hard at setting new standards for women’s care after a pregnancy or infant loss in her area. (central and northern vermont) She hopes someday that insurance companies can understand how important our childrens’ lives are to us and that they deserve to live their lives to the fullest.
The Darbys are happy to report that in May 2010 they received news that the doctors believe Ashton will not have the childhood form of the disease and can now take a deep breathe with ease after holding it for the last 9 1/2 years. They hope the disease will not present itself until later in Ashton’s life as there is no way of knowing when and how the disease will present. Last fall, the Darbys also received news that their dreams and prayers of conceiving a healthy son had been answered. Ryan and Ariel are thrilled to report that Lucas Nathaniel arrived March 29th, 2011. He is healthy and perfect, their rainbow baby – a true miracle.
