Comfort Bears for Bereaved Families

The Comfort Bears project will give grieving families something to hold when their arms are left empty after pregnancy or infant loss. A Comfort Bear is a small, soft teddy bear created for bereavement, paired with grief resources and offered at no cost.

So far in 2025, The Pregnancy and Infant Loss Support Centre (PILSC) has supported over 1,200 professional sessions and nearly 700 peer group attendees, alongside distributing Comfort Boxes to families at the time of loss. Comfort Boxes — generously supported by Field Law in the past — contain grief resources and memory-making items. Families tell us these are invaluable in helping them feel seen and supported. 

One piece that is still missing, however, is something they can physically hold in those tough moments when they are missing holding their baby. Comfort Bears represent a new layer of support we have not offered before: soft, tangible companions that parents and siblings can keep close — to sleep with, bring on travels, include in photos, or weave into family traditions. This physical presence will fill a unique gap that no other form of support can provide.

With Field Law’s support, the program will begin in 2026 by funding the first distribution of 200 Comfort Bears through counselling sessions, peer support groups, and hospital partners across Southern Alberta.

This new initiative will directly support 200 families in Southern Alberta in 2026. Families will receive a Comfort Bear after their loss, offering solace in the immediate absence of their baby. 

Our counsellors and coaches have found that parents often long for something tangible when their arms are empty. Comfort Bears will meet this need by providing a soft, meaningful item that can be kept close and integrated into daily life. These rituals provide comfort, connection, and validation that their baby mattered.

If there is a sibling in the family, this is also a developmentally appropriate way for them to also connect with their sibling. Often the other children in a family are under the age of 5 and a stuffed bear can provide comfort in a way no other support can. 

Because everyone processes loss differently, Comfort Bears will reach families whether they choose to participate in counselling or peer support programs or not. By offering them through those programs, as well as through hospital and community referrals, this project will ensure that more families have access to compassionate care in a form that feels right for them.