Griffin Cares

Griffin Cares: When Once in a Blue Moon Becomes a Mission 

10/29/2025


On July 1st, 1996, Pamela and her husband Paul Caine gave birth to their sweet baby, Griffin Matthew Caine. Griffin came into this world full of life and the Caines brought him home to meet his big sister and begin their lives together as a family of four. On his ninth day of life, Griffin suddenly and unexpectedly became very sick and had to be rushed to the hospital. He died in the NICU on July 13th, just thirteen days into such a promising life ahead. 

 

In Pamela and Paul’s founder message they remark that when their lives were turned upside down, they had no idea where to start processing their grief. After months of trying to find support, they finally found a support group and met some other bereaved families. Once they connected with those families, they became the anchor and lifeline for their journey of healing. But after starting to get above water, a question came to mind: Why did this all have to be so hard?

 


For over 28 years, the Caines “have been working as activists, fundraisers, advisors, and mentors to help families connect with other families following a pregnancy or infant loss.” They created Griffin Cares to offer a safe space for bereaved families to feel seen, heard, and supported. Their community aims to walk alongside those parents and their loved ones to help navigate life after loss and honor their precious baby’s memory. 

After initially focusing their efforts on their local community, they proudly have expanded their program to support more families in partnership with a dedicated board of compassionate volunteers and generous donors. Today, Griffin Cares Foundation has a base in New Jersey that offers local programming and also serves families in 35 states with their virtual programs and resources. 


The foundation is deeply committed to excellence in perinatal bereavement care, and the goal of their Caring Cradle initiative is to ensure that families who experience a loss are treated with respect and given the time they need to create forever memories. 


Blue Moon 

The blue moon has been a meaningful symbol for Pamela and Paul ever since it lit up the sky the night Griffin was born. When Griffin died, they thought that pregnancy and infant loss was something that only happened “once in a blue moon,” but quickly learned that it impacts 1 in 4 pregnancies. Today, the Griffin Cares blue moon serves as the inspiration behind their efforts to share support and spread awareness about baby loss. 


The original artwork seen above was created by Francesca and Vincent Ramirez. These talented artists and longtime members of the Griffin Cares community continue to honor the memory of their beloved daughter, Luna Celeste. 

Luna is a Latin word that translates to “moon” and Celeste comes from the Latin word "caelestis," which means “heavenly” or "celestial." We at the Caring Cradle think that name is so beautifully fitting for the support that her memory honors. 


In regard to the logo design, their website states: “The Griffin Cares Foundation logo features our blue moon and visually reflects the feeling of care and connection at the heart of our organization. It was designed in the colors of pregnancy and infant loss awareness as a show of support for all baby loss families.”

Logo design was created by Karla Moriarty and Marybeth Kearns


Leadership 

Griffin Cares Foundation is powered by an exceptional group of industry leaders with expertise in business, education, finance, healthcare, law, social work, and technology. The team consists of the foundation’s officers and an active board who leads the organization’s support, partnership, and fundraising initiatives. Each one of these caring professionals brings tremendous depth of compassion to their roles. Many dedicate their time in honor of a beloved baby or special sibling lost to stillbirth, infant loss, or SIDS. Four advisors provide professional guidance on mental health and bereavement, and a caring team of volunteers and peer mentors contribute additional expertise and support. 


Fundraisers 
Griffin Cares Foundation's Annual Fundraiser runs throughout Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month each October. All proceeds from this effort fund their peer support services and the critical resources and training for their hospital partners, including the placement of Caring Cradles. The generosity of the foundation’s donors and Remembrance Day event sponsors and the dedicated work of their volunteer team enable this organization to provide all their programs and resources free of charge to loss moms, dads, and siblings.   



Our Partnership 
Griffin Cares Foundation has placed six Caring Cradles in the New York and New Jersey area. Those hospitals are: Mount Sinai (L+D and NICU), Neonatal Comfort Care Program, Englewood Health, Holy Name Hospital and Valley Hospital. Their partnership in placing these cradles provides the opportunity for hospitals to offer the gift of time.

 

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One of the unique aspects of Griffin Cares Foundation’s Caring Cradle initiative is that each of the Caring Cradles they donate honors a beloved child of a family in the Griffin Cares Community. Their donation includes the honoree's name on a beautiful plaque and a dedication ceremony. At the ceremony, the honored family shares their story, offering a meaningful account of how a Caring Cradle can make an enduring difference. Staff members who attend the dedications often share how this personal and powerful message impacts them deeply and inspires them to support families in the future with extra care and compassion. Griffin Cares believes that the donation of Caring Cradles provides an impactful opportunity for education and training that will improve the quality-of-care for future families and set a gold standard in compassionate perinatal bereavement care. 


Looking back, Pamela and Paul reflect on the difference a Caring Cradle would have made in their own personal story by giving them more time with Griffin. The Caring Cradle team is grateful to walk alongside Griffin Cares Foundation, helping place cradles in their local hospitals. We aim to empower families and healthcare professionals with the proper tools and resources to gently begin the grieving process of losing a little one. 


Resources

Texas families now have more time to say goodbye after baby loss

By proadAccountId-1004132 • December 4, 2025
Everly's Law is bringing Caring Cradle to more families in Texas

Why the Caring Cradle® Is an Essential Bereavement Device for Every NICU and Labor and Delivery Center

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The Essential Bereavement Device for Every NICU and Labor and Delivery Center

Project Loreal

By proadAccountId-1004132 • November 13, 2025
Project Loreal: Creating Memory Boxes for California Families

Carter’s Classic

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Carter’s Classic: A Dragonfly of Hope in a Large World

Metro Detroit Share

By proadAccountId-1004132 • October 4, 2025
Metro Detroit Share: A Statewide Partner in Bereavement Care

The Legacy Cradle Project

September 10, 2025
The Legacy Cradle Project

Bodie Walker Schenkel's Cradle Donations Story

By proadAccountId-1004132 • July 15, 2025
Bodie Walker Schenkel

New Bereavement Suite At Nebraska Medical Center

By proadAccountId-1004132 • July 1, 2025
Nebraska Medical Center has opened a special place for families facing the loss of a pregnancy or infant. The new Birthing and Bereavement Suite offers parents a quiet, private space to spend precious time with their babies.
Sharing Solace

Sharing Solace

June 26, 2025
Sharing Solace makes grieving bearable by empowering grievers to grieve and their friends, family, congregations, and coworkers to love them through their grief with our technology-elevated, pass-along-able keepsakes so you always ‘Remember. You’re not alone.’

A Voice for Grieving Families: Introducing the Silent Footprints Podcast

By proadAccountId-1004132 • May 28, 2025
In a world that often falls silent around heartbreak, Silent Footprints dares to speak—and to listen. We are honored to introduce this extraordinary podcast to our community, a series born from deep loss and transformed by profound purpose. Hosted by Lisa Rowell , Silent Footprints is a heartfelt podcast grounded in faith, empathy, and the power of shared experience. She walks tenderly alongside those who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss. Lisa’s voice is one of compassion, courage, and conviction. Since 2013, when she lost her daughter Julianna Grace to stillbirth, Lisa has turned personal tragedy into a nationwide calling—offering both comfort and advocacy to families navigating unspeakable grief. What began as a simple gesture—hand-delivering grieving baskets to families in her hometown—has blossomed into the Julianna Grace Ministry , which now donates cooling units like cuddle cots and Caring Cradles to hospitals, and champions legislation that honors the lives of stillborn children. Through it all, her Christian faith has remained her anchor and guide. Now in its 44th episode, the Silent Footprints podcast continues to break the silence and stigma around baby loss—offering listeners a space that is real, raw, and deeply rooted in hope. We’re especially honored that Wendy Kowalski , founder of Caring Cradle, was invited to be a recent guest. Wendy shared the story behind the Caring Cradle—how it came to be, what it offers grieving families, and why dignity and time matter so much in moments of loss. The conversation between Wendy and Lisa was thoughtful, sincere, and deeply respectful. These two women have tremendous admiration for one another, and that mutual support was felt in every moment. 🎧 Listen to the episode here: Silent Footprints – Featuring Caring Cradle We’re grateful to Lisa for creating such a meaningful space, and we hope you’ll take time to listen and share this episode with someone who may need it. https://juliannagraceministry.weebly.com/ https://silentfootprints.buzzsprout.com/ https://www.facebook.com/lisa.rowell.14