Mattea's Joy

10/26/2026

The next generation of joy-givers! ✨ Thank you to the Maternity BVM Youth Group and Amanda Fierce for spending time with us assembling care items for kids and families in the hospital. Your kindness will travel farther than you know. 💛

10/22/2026

Some gratitude isn't flowery. It's hard-won. This week I wrote about a grieving stranger in a NICU lounge in 2009, and how she changed the way we prayed for Mattea. 💜

Grateful, Not Glad → joyedit.substack.com

My personal Substack. Click to read Jamie's Substack, by Jamie Freedlund, a Substack publication with hundreds of subscribers.

10/21/2026

Joy on the move! 🚗💛 Thank you to Bob Bonds for delivering to our newest partner, Evanston Hospital (Endeavor Health), and to Mardelle Gundlach for delivering to Advocate Oak Lawn. Every drop-off means a child and family feel a little less alone on a hard day.

10/17/2026

Prepare in October to savor December

joyedit.substack.com

10/15/2026

Today is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day.

Navigating life after losing a baby is heartbreaking, confusing, and can feel so lonely. Even a simple question like "How many kids do you have?" can become hard to answer.

In this episode of our podcast, we sat down with Joy Harris, author of Missed Baby Steps, who lost her son Darien to stillbirth nearly 20 years ago. Joy shares:
💛 How to navigate the different phases of grief
💛 How to support a parent walking through loss
💛 How to help siblings as they grieve, too
💛 How to honor the memory of a child gone too soon

Whether your loss was an early miscarriage or an infant, your grief is real, and it matters.

"Loss doesn't just happen to the Mom, it's a family affair." – Joy Harris

🎧 Listen at the link in bio. Support resources are in the episode notes.

10/15/2026

We couldn't have teed off without you. ⛳ A huge thank you to our sponsors and golfers for selling out Golf "Fore" Joy and showing up so big for families in the hospital. You brought the energy, the generosity, and more than a few great swings. 💛

10/14/2026

10/14/2026

10/12/2026

Joy starts at home. 💚 This month, the Freedlund Family (the family behind Mattea's Joy) spent time assembling care items for kids and families in the hospital. Some of the most meaningful work happens around a table, side by side, with the people you love most. We're so grateful to be a family-rooted, volunteer-run organization!

Want to bring your own family or group to the Mattea's Joy HQ? We'd love to host you. Link in bio.