Today we’d like to introduce you to Elizabeth Carter-Peabody.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
On December 7, 2022 our families life changed forever, our son, Harbour Knoxx Peabody, was delivered stillborn at 34.5 weeks due to a sudden placental abruption. In the immediate shock of losing him, we were offered something we had never heard of before—a CuddleCot. At the time, we did not know this was an option or that families could even request one. Our nurse gently explained that the CuddleCot is a cooling system that would allow us to keep Harbour with us by slowing the natural changes to his body.
Because of the CuddleCot, we were able to keep Harbour in our hospital room for the entirety of my six-day hospital stay. Those six days became an irreplaceable gift. We were able to hold him, rock him, talk to him, sing to him, pray over him, and simply be his parents. Our children were able to meet their baby brother, sit beside him, touch him, and say goodbye in their own time. Before leaving the hospital, we were also able to hold a small funeral service for Harbour in our hospital room with a chaplain—honoring his life surrounded by love, faith, and family.
During our stay, a nurse also gave us a Forget-Me-Knot bereavement basket. Inside were simple but deeply meaningful items that helped carry us through those early moments of grief. The nurse thoughtfully gave a stuffed elephant to our then 6-year-old daughter and another to our 10-year-old son—something they could hold when words failed. Included was a children’s book titled “We Had an Angel Instead”, by Pat Schwiebert, along with books for grieving mothers, rubbing stones, and other remembrance items that acknowledged Harbour and validated our grief.
We read, “We Had an Angel Instead” to Harbour with our children. Our youngest, Phynnlee, believed Harbour was sleeping and thought we would be able to wake him by feeding him. The book helped us gently explain that Harbour would not wake up, that he had died, and that he was now in Heaven. It gave our children language for their grief and helped us navigate an impossible conversation with honesty and love.
After returning home, the grief became unbearable. In the quiet moments, I prayed daily—asking God to help us understand our loss and to help me find a way to make purpose from our pain. The answer became clear: give back, love others, and comfort families who are grieving alone.
That calling led to the creation of The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation in November 2023. We began by reaching out to local hospitals, hoping to give back in the same ways we had been supported. Through those conversations, we learned that many hospitals lacked bereavement support services and access to resources like bereavement boxes and CuddleCots.
Since then, The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation has partnered with and provided bereavement support to hospitals including Hocking Valley Community Hospital, Berger Hospital, Fairfield Medical Center, Doctors Hospital Columbus, and Adena Medical Center—helping ensure families receive compassionate, dignified care during unimaginable loss.
Inspired by the Forget-Me-Knot basket and the priceless time the CuddleCot gave our family, we created Harbour’s Hope Bereavement Boxes—carefully curated with intention, empathy, and lived experience. We also made a commitment to donate at least one CuddleCot each year in honor of Harbour’s birthday, so other families can be given the same gift of time, dignity, and love that we were given.
Today, The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation stands as a living legacy to Harbour Knoxx Peabody. What began with heartbreak has become purpose—ensuring every baby is honored, every family is supported, and no one walks through loss alone.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
The road has not been smooth, and building The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation has come with many challenges. The most significant obstacle has been doing this work while still actively grieving our own loss. Supporting families during their most painful moments requires emotional strength, boundaries, and ongoing healing, all while honoring our own grief.
In the early stages, we also faced limited resources. We started with no funding, no roadmap, and little awareness of how many hospitals lacked bereavement support services. Establishing trust with hospitals, navigating nonprofit requirements, and building partnerships took time, persistence, and countless conversations.
Another challenge has been balancing growth with sustainability. As the need for bereavement support became clear, demand quickly outpaced our capacity. Ensuring we could continue providing high-quality, compassionate care—while fundraising, sourcing supplies, and coordinating volunteers—required careful planning and adaptability.
Despite these challenges, each obstacle has strengthened our mission. We learned to advocate, to collaborate, and to lead with empathy. The struggles confirmed why this work matters and continue to shape how we grow responsibly, intentionally, and with the families we serve at the center of everything we do.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My work is rooted in advocacy, leadership, and compassionate service, with a deep focus on supporting families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. I am the founder and president of The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation, a nonprofit created from lived experience and driven by the belief that no family should feel alone in their grief.
I specialize in building hospital partnerships and creating bereavement resources that offer comfort in the moments when words fall short. This includes Harbour’s Hope Bereavement Boxes, coordinating CuddleCot donations to hospitals, and organizing memorial and community education events that honor babies’ lives while supporting the families left behind.
I am known for turning personal loss into purpose. Every program we offer is shaped by what our own family needed in the darkest hours after loss, ensuring that the care we provide is thoughtful, tangible, and deeply compassionate.
What I am most proud of is the impact—supporting hundreds of families, partnering with hospitals across Ohio, and helping bring dignity, time, and comfort to families navigating unimaginable grief. At the heart of my work is presence—showing up, holding space, and making sure no family walks through loss without love and support.
Who else deserves credit in your story?
This work would not be possible without the incredible support of others. We are deeply grateful to Miles’ Mission and author Michael Bullock, who generously donate Even Now I Know: A Journey from Grief to Gratitude for every bereavement box, offering families faith-centered comfort in their earliest days of grief.
We are thankful to Hands of Faith Church, whose congregation lovingly creates and prays over the prayer squares included in our boxes. Dana McVay and Sarah Shepard deserve special recognition for crocheting baby blankets, each made with care and compassion to honor babies who are deeply cherished.
We are also grateful Ashlie’s Embrace for helping coordinate CuddleCot dedications, ensuring each donation is placed with intention and care for the families and hospitals served.
Our community partners play a vital role as well. Why Knot Venue & Jeep Trails generously sponsor our Harbour of Hope Christmas Fundraiser, helping us create spaces of remembrance and hope for loss families.
Above all, I am grateful for my family—my husband Michael Peabody and our children—and for the friends and supporters who continue to stand beside us. The Harbour Knoxx Peabody Foundation exists because of collective compassion and a shared belief that every pregnancy matters and every family deserves comfort, love and support.
Pricing:
- Free
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theharbourknoxxpeabodyfoundation.org
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/harbourknoxxfoundation
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/groups/1749310105542814
- Other: https://givebutter.com/ohrtBo
