Angel Watch Program

When couples are expecting a baby, they are understandably filled with excitement. And so, when something goes wrong with the pregnancy, the news can be devastating. But there is help available for Utah families who are experiencing such a profound loss. It's a program called "Angel Watch."

“He came in and just said things are not looking good she's not going to make it.”
Jenifer and Trevor Petersen received the bad news about baby Ally just 18 weeks into her pregnancy. Jennifer had experienced miscarriages before, but carried hope that this pregnancy would be successful.

Jennifer has a t-shaped uterus, as well as a common blood disorder know as Factor Five Lieden 'which increases a woman's risk of miscarriage, still birth and other complications. During her pregnancies, doctors would give Jenifer daily injections of heparin - a blood thinner - with the hope that all would develop normally.

“There's nothing to say that's going to help you get through it, by any means,” says Jenifer.

“People call the house, and you don't want to answer the phone because you know what people are calling for,” says Trevor. “And while you know they have good intentions, our own personal feeling at the time was to just not deal with it.”

That's when the ladies from Angel Watch stepped in and took Jenifer and Trevor under their wings.

“When they walked in the door you could feel the love and support immediately,” says Jenifer. “They are just the most wonderful women I have ever really met in my life to be able to help people and other couples through this tough time.”

When the Petersens lost a second baby - Gabe - several years later, Angel Watch came through once again.

“Carolyn would send me email after email. I would go through times when I didn't want to talk to anybody, and their persistence, and help and just overwhelming support you knew at least they were their for you when not everyone understood how hard it really was”

Thirty-five years ago Carolyn Kasteler lost a baby, too. After several years working as a pediatric nurse, she was asked to start a pediatric hospice program. That's when Angel Watch took flight, eventually landing at McKay-Dee Hospital. Angel Watch specialists help couples like the Petersens by helping them create a birth plan for their baby.

“The birth plan includes what they want to name the baby and also what they want to have done with the baby, as far as who's the first one to hold the baby,” says Kasteler. “Does the father want to cut the umbilical cord? Do they want to bathe the baby? Do they want to monitor contractions? It's a very, very difficult emotional decision, journey for them, and we try to help them think about those questions beforehand so that they are prepared.”

Kay Tanner is a grief specialist and Chaplain with the Angel Watch program. Her main priority is to develop a trusting relationship with each family, giving them the support they need to be open with their emotions.

“There's hardly even a word that's strong enough to describe what kind of emotion comes up when a family gets a lethal diagnosis,” says Tanner. “When people go to get an ultrasound, they are going in to find out if it's a boy or a girl, and the last thing they expect is to hear that their baby has an anomaly. If there's ever a time when you need to feel love, concern, and support and comfort from everyone around you, it's at a time like this, a very crucial time.”

Angel Watch services are free to anyone in Utah and are funded by the McKay-Dee Hospital Foundation. If you would like to make a donation to support their efforts or learn more about the program, visit the McKay Dee Angel Watch Program.