Volunteers

Sari Edber - LA MISS Coordinator

sari.edber@missfoundation.org

Sari Edber is the proud mother of three children. Her first son, Jacob, was stillborn full term in 2006 after a perfectly healthy pregnancy. While Sari and her husband, Daniel, were learning to navigate the horrific path of being bereaved parents, the MISS Foundation immediately became a lifeline for them through their online resources, monthly support groups, and the lifelong friendships that they made. They found comfort, healing, validation, guidance, and amazing mentors, who would walk this journey alongside them.  Sari continued her involvement with MISS when she was one of three stillbirth mothers who sponsored and helped to pass new California legislation for stillborn babies. After almost a year of lobbying, our bill, that allows parents to request a government issued Certificate of Still Birth, was signed into law in October, 2007. 

Sari was the lead facilitator of our LA MISS support group for 11 years and continues to support our current volunteers as the chapter coordinator.  She serves as the co-chair of the international MISS Parental Advisory Board and has completed the Compassionate Bereavement Care certification program to become a certified peer grief counselor.

Sari's advocacy work has extended into the greater Los Angeles community, as well, by working closely with other grief organizations, leading training sessions with hospitals, and providing bereavement care workshops for health/emotional care professionals with the goals of: sharing her experience, being a peer resource for other bereaved parents, and increasing public awareness, education, and research about child death.

Sari and Daniel's healing revolves around finding ways to keep Jacob’s memory alive and their comfort comes from knowing that Jacob is forever a part of their family, especially in the lives of their two subsequent children. 

Danielle Roderick - LA MISS Parent Liason and Co-Facilitator

danielle.roderick@missfoundation.org

Danielle Roderick came to MISS after the death of her son, Caleb, in 2017. Group was one of the first places where she could talk about the complexities of her grief and not just be met with empathy, but also understanding. It took Danielle a year to get to group, afraid that it wouldn't be the right fit, or that it would just be too hard, but group has been a mainstay in her journey with her grief. As a volunteer, she wants all families to have as much support as possible. It's so easy to be isolated as a bereaved parent, and volunteering with MISS has been one way to help other families feel less alone.  

Eric Kugler - LA MISS Monthly Co-Facilitator  

eric.kugler@missfoundation.org

My son Josh passed away when he was 23 years old.

He was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis when he was 18 months old. Both my wife and I had never heard of CF. We were introduced to a support group at Methodist Hospital in Houston Texas. The support and education we received helped us immeasurably.

When Josh was 16, he got very ill, and ultimately he had to have a double lung transplant.

10 months later he rejected the lungs and had to have a single lung transplant. He lived 5 more years before his heart gave out due to complications from the transplant.

If it wasn’t for grief counseling and support groups I don’t know if I would have survived.  I feel that helping others through the hardest journey of their life is my way of paying it forward, and to honor my son.

Genevieve Santillanes - LA MISS Treasurer and Event Planner

genevieve.santillanes@missfoundation.org

Genevieve Santillanes is the mother of four children. She made her way to MISS in 2014 about 6 months after the death of her first child, Theo. The community and connections Genevieve and her husband found through MISS helped them immensely in their grief journey. The support and mentorship Genevieve received from facilitators and other bereaved parents were invaluable in navigating subsequent challenging pregnancies. Genevieve has continued as a MISS volunteer because she wants other bereaved parents to also find the community and support she needed after the death of her son.