Jonesboro, Arkansas – Families experiencing an unimaginable loss are receiving assistance from an organization.
The loss of a newborn can be heartbreaking for one in four families. The goal of local Mpact has been to support families at that challenging time.
The co-founders of Local Mpact, Michael and Rebecca Propst, lost their daughter Marleigh more than ten years ago. She was born in 2014 when they were traveling for work.
Naturally, she was going to be underdeveloped because she was preterm. “You really have no idea that this can happen to you and that your baby can die, it is unfathomable,” Rebecca Propst said, adding that those who have never experienced loss before are simply terribly ignorant about grief.
Local Mpact was founded by Michael and Rebecca, but the years before were difficult as they dealt with their loss.
“It’s really difficult to go back and see all these kids and do all this stuff when you don’t have your child at home because we worked in a business where everyone was kids,” Propst said.
They wanted to launch their organization after receiving calls and messages from other parents and families experiencing similar circumstances.
One in four is the result of my investigation and the increasing number of responses I gave to these messages. “So, how many of those people can we help out of one in four families?” Propst asked. “How can we take such heartbreak and say, ‘You know, we’re going to have this organization. Let’s get this thing going.'”
This month marks the organization’s third anniversary, and it continues to grow every year.
Propst stated, “There is a vast network of individuals, families, and resources in our community, so you are never alone in this grief journey.”
According to the Propsts, Marleigh continues to live on through Local Mpact.
Propst remarked, “She is so powerful through that, and we are helping so many other people through her.”
Local Mpact assists families with anything they require during that time, including counseling and funeral or headstone costs. Marleigh is represented by the M in Mpact.
