One of the things I love most about sharing Hazel's story is the conversations it starts. Whether you've been following our journey since 2022 or just recently found our foundation, there are a handful of questions I get asked over and over again. So I thought it would be helpful to answer a few of them here. What happened to Hazel? This is by far the question I receive the most. Rather than trying to summarize the hardest day of our lives in a few paragraphs, I wrote an enti

Sometimes I find myself wondering what Hazel would think if she could see all of this. Not the foundation paperwork. Not the countless emails. Not the late nights planning events or organizing fundraisers. But the people. The community. The love. The impact. The legacy. When Hazel was here, she was only with us for six short months. Six months of smiles, snuggles, milestones, and memories that somehow feel both impossibly distant and vividly close all at the same time. Like a

Before Hazel died, I thought I understood motherhood. I thought being a mom meant protecting my children, loving them endlessly, making memories, showing up every day, and doing everything possible to give them a beautiful life. And while all of those things are true, grief changed motherhood for me in ways I never could have imagined. Some painful. Some beautiful. Some impossible to explain unless you’ve lived it. Before losing Hazel, I worried about normal parent things. Sc

When people think about nonprofit organizations and memorial foundations, the first thing they usually think about is fundraising. Golf outings. 5Ks. Events. Sponsorships. Donations. And trust me — those things matter. They matter a lot. The support we receive through fundraising helps us continue honoring Hazel’s life while supporting causes that mean everything to our family. It allows us to partner with organizations like Lifebanc, support safe sleep education through Crib

The story honestly starts long before we lost Hazel. It started before she was even born. I’m Hazel’s mom, Jamie, and I’m writing this blog because so many people ask what happened...and while it’s incredibly painful to talk about, I also know how many families are searching for answers, understanding, or simply trying to make sense of something so unimaginable. Before Hazel, I experienced 9 miscarriages. Nine. By the time I got pregnant with her, I truly didn’t know if I wou

People often say that grief changes you. What they don’t always talk about is how grief can change a marriage, too. Losing a child is something no parent should ever have to experience, and unfortunately, it is something that can tear families apart. The weight of grief is heavy. It changes routines, communication, emotions, priorities, and even identities. Two people can be grieving the exact same child while grieving in completely different ways. One person may want to talk

There is something that happens after you lose a child that you don’t expect. The world keeps going...but the words people say to you suddenly feel very different. I’ve come to learn that most people mean well. They want to help. They want to comfort you. They just don’t know how. And the truth is, there is no perfect thing to say after a loss like this. There are no words that fix it. But there are words that help… and words that hurt. And if sharing this helps even one pers

First, we can hardly believe that 2025 is already behind us. It seems like the years are flying by so quickly that we can barely keep up. The Hazel Joy Memorial Foundation has now been operating for 2 full years, and it feels incredibly rewarding to see the impact we've made in such a short time. We are confident that our girl is smiling down on us, proud of the work we've done in her honor. Each year, we believe it's crucial to be transparent about everything we've achieved.

It's hard to believe that it's been 3 years since we last saw our sweet Hazel. Some days, it feels like just yesterday, while on others,...

On September 21st, 2024, exactly 787 days after the passing of our daughter, we welcomed our perfect baby boy, Owen Haze Misick, into the...

Wow, what a year! It's incredible to see that The Hazel Joy Memorial Foundation has successfully completed its first full year. It's even...

It has been a year and a half since our daughter Hazel was taken from us. Tragically. Without any warning. It is still crazy to reflect...

Bunker Hill Golf Course - Medina, OH Hazel's men in her life really love to golf, and the women in her life really love to socialize &...