Annabella's Angels

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Annabella's Angels

Annabella's Angels, a nonprofit, provides support and awareness to those who have experience pregnan We spent the a night with Annabella in our hospital room.

On December 9, 2014 at 18 weeks and 7 days into the pregnancy, we lost our beautiful baby girl Annabella Grace Ocasio. She was absolutely perfect from her little head to her teeny tiny toes. We had the priest come to give her a baby blessing, we held her, kissed her, wrapped her in blankets, took pictures of her, and cherished every moment we had with her. Some of our wonderful family and friends

came to see Annabella and support us as well. The hospital Annabella was delivered in didn't have a CuddleCot and it didn't have a way to keep Annabella to keep her cool. She was "changing" faster than we expected and we didn't want to remember her that way. We wanted to remember her as our perfect baby girl. That was the only time we had with Annabella and the last time we ever saw her. Annabella's Angels is raising funds to purchase and donate a CuddleCot in Annabella and her angel friends' memory to all Connecticut hospitals so that other families facing the tragic loss of their beautiful babies can have the precious gift of time. The CuddleCots we purchased are the first and only CuddleCot in Connecticut. Each CuddleCot costs about $3,000. All additional funds will go towards purchasing more CuddleCots to donate to other hospitals. For those not familiar with the CuddleCot it is an in room cooling unit that is the size of a small humidifier disguised inside of a Moses basket. Research has proven having a unit available to parents while they are in the hospital encourages families to spend time with their baby. This gift of time allows precious hours for bonding, pictures, plaster molds to be taken, and other family members to come and meet the baby before the natural changes that occur in death become more apparent. In addition, the baby can now stay in the room with the family the entire hospital stay if the family so desires. While this might not be for everyone, it does allow families a choice. Our short term goal wass to place a CuddleCot in each Waterbury hospital which we accomplished on January 9, 2016! Our long term goal is to place a CuddleCot in every hospital in Connecticut in Annabella and her angel friends' memory. Dealing with the death of a baby is clearly an incredibly difficult event for parents and bereaved parents should be given the option of spending time with their baby. Providing families time through the use of the CuddleCot is internationally encouraged by midwives, bereavement practitioners, still birth/neonatal charities, and academics. Time allows the family to form an important bond with their baby; whether changing a nappy, dressing the baby, taking photographs or simply just staying close and this unquestionably helps families in dealing with their loss. The problem is that in a warm room the baby’s condition can deteriorate quickly, therefore cooling the baby is absolutely essential. Transferring to and from the morgue is now widely regarded as an outdated practice as it is traumatic for parents to repeatedly go through the separation process whereas the Cuddle Cot allows the family to spend every moment with their baby, precious moments where every minute counts. To contact us, email [email protected]!

10/16/2025

Today on Pregnancy and Infant Awareness Day remember our angels, Annabella 🩷, Matthew 🩵& Jesse 💚, and all the angels whose family have become a part of ours. Our hearts are with you all ❤️

10/06/2025

The 11th Annual Remembering Our Babies Walk is more than a memorial — it’s a movement. 💕

In honor of our daughter Annabella, we founded Annabella’s Angels to support families navigating pregnancy and infant loss. Each year, we walk together to remember our babies and to advocate for systemic change in postpartum bereavement care.

We are using our platform to champion two critical goals:
💜 Expanding access to CuddleCot in hospitals across Connecticut and beyond.
💜 Ensuring that bereavement support is a required part of postpartum care.

No family should have to rush their goodbyes or grieve in silence.

Together, we remember, we grieve, we hope, and we heal — one step at a time. 👣

10/04/2025

Tomorrow is our 11th Annual Remembering Our Babies Walk. The weather is looking perfect ☀️ You can still register for the walk online by visiting annabellasangels.com/pailwalk. You can also register in person the day of the walk.

Join us as we remember our babies 🩵🩷

10/01/2025

You never forget.

The baby you held.
The baby you dreamed of.
The baby you never got to meet.

The pregnancy test you whispered over in disbelief.
The ultrasound you never got far enough to frame.
The names you tucked away in your heart, waiting to use one day.

You never forget the ache in your body when your arms were left empty.
Or the ache in your soul when the world kept spinning, while yours completely stopped.

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month.
But for so many of us,every month feels like October.

Because loss doesn’t have an expiration date.
It stays with you, in the quiet moments,
in the holidays that feel incomplete,
in the milestones you’ll never get to see.

This month, and every month
we remember the babies gone too soon.
The dreams that never got to grow.
And the parents whose love will never end,
even when their child’s life did.

08/03/2025

❤️ My journey to the Mrs. American stage is bigger than me — it’s for Annabella's Angels, my beautiful angels, and every family touched by pregnancy and infant loss. Wearing this crown, I’m using my voice to raise awareness about the critical importance of perinatal bereavement care, including the life-changing impact of a CuddleCot. No family should be denied time with their precious baby.

My mission is clear: to work alongside CuddleCot and incredible organizations like Annabella’s Angels to ensure every hospital has a CuddleCot available. Every hospital. Every family. Every moment matters.❤️

07/15/2025

🌸💫 Proud Moment for Annabella’s Angels 💫🌸
We are overjoyed to share that our founder, Jessica Ocasio, has been crowned Mrs. Connecticut American 2025 and will be representing our state on the national stage this August in Las Vegas! 👑

Jessica’s platform—Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness—was born from personal heartbreak and transformed into a movement of compassion and healing through the creation of Annabella’s Angels. Now, she carries that same message to a national audience, shining a light on stories too often left in the shadows.

We are so proud of her strength, grace, and fierce dedication to honoring every angel baby and supporting families in grief. 💖

Join us in cheering her on as she competes for Mrs. American 2025—not just with beauty and poise, but with purpose and heart. ✨

12/09/2024

Happy 10th Birthday to our precious angel, Annabella Grace. It’s hard to believe it’s been ten years since we last held you in our arms. A decade has passed, and every day feels like a lifetime without you. We long for the days of hearing your sweet laughter, feeling your tiny hand in ours, and watching you grow into the incredible person we knew you’d be.

We’ve missed countless milestones – your first day of school, your laughter, your tears, your dreams. Yet, even in your absence, you’ve shaped our lives in profound ways. Your spirit, gentle and kind, continues to inspire us.

Though you’re not physically here, your love remains a constant in our lives. We carry your memory with us, cherishing every moment we shared. Thank you for giving us the strength to help others. Until we meet again, our love for you will only grow stronger.

10/25/2024

October 25 another day engrained in our memories forever. Another day that forever changed our lives. Our baby boy was born and entered the heavenly world to join his big sister. It never gets easier to deal with you not being here in our arms.

We wish we could have seen you grow. We wish we could have seen you playing with your big sister and baby brothers. We wish we could have been able to hear your laughs and see your smile.

Today we honor your memory with nothing but pure love for you and gratitude for sending us Mateo. Happy 6th heavenly birthday to our beautiful son Matthew Thomas 💙 We love you forever....

10/06/2024

✨Today was a perfect day for our 10th Annual Remembering Our Babies Walk. It was a day of gratitude for all those who have supported us from the beginning and those who we have had the honor of meeting in recent years. It was a day of love for each other, for our spouses, sisters, brothers, mothers, fathers, grandparents and all those who have been touch by pregnancy and infant loss. It was a day of remembrance for not only Annabella, Matthew, and Jesse but all the beautiful angels who left this world too soon and who memory we all strive to keep alive. It was a day of hope for more perinatal loss resources & support, research to understand the cause of losses and reduce the chance of losses happening, and that the offering of a CuddleCot is a standard practice for breavement care in all hospitals. With are blessed for the connections and lifelong friendships we’ve made over the years. Thank you each and every person who has come to our walks over the last ten years. We are looking forward to see what the next ten years has in store for Annabella’s Angels 💕💕

If you have pictures from today’s walk please share or tag Annabella‘a Angels.✨✨

10/01/2024

In honor of all the beautiful angels in heaven...October is Pregnancy Infant Loss Awareness Month. Remember our angels and say their names.

💜 Annabella Grace 💜
💙 Matthew Thomas 💙
💚 Jesse Alexander 💚

Honor your angel by joining us for our Remembering Our Babies Walk this Sunday at 11:30am. Register at annabellasangels.com/pailwalk.

09/25/2024

Don’t forget to catch us live on FOX61 today! You can watch on any streaming device or online at https://www.fox61.com/watch.

Annabella's Angels will be live on FOX61 this Wednesday to discuss the 10th Annual Remembering Our Babies Walk and the importance of CuddleCots in hospitals! Check us out and don't forget to register for the walk: annabellasnagels.com/pailwalk

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Waterbury, CT
06704

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http://www.annabellasangels.com/

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