Doctor turns grief into helping underprivileged new moms

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    KANSAS CITY, Missouri (KMBC) — A Kansas City doctor has created a nonprofit to help underprivileged moms have the necessities to take care of a newborn baby.

“As physicians, we try and fix the problem and I’ve found that grief is not fixable. It’s something you need to walk with your patients,” said Dr. Jessica Richter.

Richter was expecting a baby boy.

“Two days before I was supposed to have my son in October, I stopped feeling him move so we went to the hospital and there was no heartbeat,” she said.

Benjamin Adam Richter, at 9 pounds 1.2 ounces was stillborn.

“We were devastated. He was our first baby, our son, our only child, and it was completely unexpected,” Richter said.

Ben’s Closet evolved from Richter and her husband returning home, carrying unthinkable grief, to a house ready to welcome their baby boy.

“Mainly, it came from the fact that we had all this stuff. We had everything ready. Our nursery was completely done,” Richter said.

Ben’s Closet provides diaper bags with all the necessities for a new mom. The donations from ben’s closet also helped purchase a nonstress test machine for the clinic.

“That is particularly close to my heart because it is a monitor we use when someone comes in with decreased fetal movement when they’re not feeling their baby move,” Richter said.

Richter continues her work as a doctor while keeping her son’s memory close to her heart and her purpose.

“It’s been really helpful to have a purpose to have something to move forward with and to feel like ben won’t be forgotten,” Richter said.

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