TYLER, Texas (KLTV) – A Tyler-based nonprofit is providing crucial support to families experiencing one of life’s most devastating losses through specialized bereavement photography and education services.

The Mourning Forecast, founded in August 2024, works with families who experience child loss before or shortly after delivery. The organization operates on two main pillars: direct parent advocacy and healthcare provider education.

“We work directly with the parents who experience child loss,” said Susan McElroy, founder of the Mourning Forecast. “Our largest ministry is bereavement photography, where we go directly into the hospital with the family and we take photos with the family and baby.”

McElroy’s inspiration for starting the organization stems from East Texas having one of the highest rates of infant and maternal mortality in Texas. She began doing bereavement photography in November 2020 with another nonprofit before recognizing a deeper need in the community.

“I recognized that while bereavement photography is really important, it is just the first step of helping parents heal,” McElroy said.

The nonprofit provides all services free of charge to families, connecting them with various resources throughout East Texas. The organization also conducts workshops and training sessions with hospital staff to educate providers on specialized care for grieving parents.

“We want to try to mitigate the effects of basically long term PTSD that occurs when a child passes away,” McElroy said.

McElroy explained that grief from child loss differs significantly from other types of bereavement because it involves mourning experiences that never occurred.

“When it comes to grief of a child, you’re grieving because they have not experienced so many things, and we understand and recognize that that is completely and truly unfair,” she said. “That is why the grief of a child is so much more complex and compounding than the grief of somebody who has lived full and beautiful life.”

The bereavement photography serves as more than just memory-making. McElroy described it as similar to newborn photography, helping families begin the grieving process while validating their loss.

“It helps them recognize that their loss is real, it is valid. It is a tangible loss,” she said.

The Mourning Forecast will host its first major fundraising event, “More Than a Memory,” on Oct. 17 from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on the third floor of The Foundry in Tyler.

The event will feature a memorial gallery where parents can display photos of their babies in a supportive environment. The evening will conclude with a candle lighting ceremony continuing the National Wave of Light tradition, typically observed on Oct. 15.

“We’re giving them an opportunity in a really sacred area to be able to show their baby off and show that they can be loved and welcomed and accepted,” McElroy said.

The event will include a silent auction featuring donated items and floral arrangements from Chapel Hill ISD’s Floral Department. Tickets are available at mourningforecast.com or at the door.

McElroy encouraged community members to support those experiencing grief by asking meaningful questions and being present for difficult conversations.

“Don’t be afraid to ask them, ‘how are you?’ And when they say, ‘okay,’ look them in the eyes and say, ‘how are you?’” she said.