FT. MITCHELL, Ky. — October marks Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, a time dedicated to honoring babies gone too soon and supporting families who’ve experienced the unimaginable.
For Lisa Louden, that mission is deeply personal.
Louden is the board chair and founder of the Missing Alexis Foundation, which she started in 2008 — four years after her daughter, Alexis, was stillborn in July 2004. What began as one family’s way to keep their daughter’s memory alive has grown into a support group for countless others across Northern Kentucky.
“When you are ready to find somebody to reach out to for help, we hope to be a group that is transparent and accessible,” Louden said. “We have a huge community that really works to help support those families and provide that follow-up care after that initial shock and loss.”
Each year, the foundation hosts the NKY Walk to Remember, an annual event where hundreds of families gather to honor their babies’ lives. During the walk, names are read aloud, and butterflies are released in a symbolic tribute to the children who are forever loved and missed.
Beyond remembrance events, the Missing Alexis Foundation provides tangible support to families in need. Its Memory Box Outreach program delivers keepsake boxes to parents who experience pregnancy or infant loss — often distributed through local hospitals like St. Elizabeth.
In partnership with St. Elizabeth Healthcare, the foundation also helped establish the Butterfly Suite, a private space designed for grieving parents to spend time with their baby away from a traditional delivery room. The foundation offers additional resources, including a monthly Hearts of NKY support group, bereavement training and financial assistance to help offset funeral costs.
Louden said the goal is simple: To ensure that no family faces this kind of loss alone.
The foundation has also worked with Floral Hills Memorial Gardens to dedicate a miscarriage memorial bench, providing a peaceful place for families to visit and reflect.
“One in four families experience the loss of a child,” Louden said. “We want to be there in the midst of that — to help navigate that journey and light the way.”
