Briggs & Barrett Project’s Nursery of Hope: Where Hope Takes Root

Owlet Cares is our advocacy initiative dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of babies and parents. One way we do this is by partnering with nonprofits worldwide who share our mission — organizations that join our match program, so every purchase they make reaches multiple families. Each month, we spotlight one of these partners and the work they're doing.

This month, we're honored to introduce Allison Uecker, cofounder of the Briggs & Barrett Project in Nebraska. Founded in memory of her son Barrett, the organization has helped donate thousands of Owlet smart baby monitors to families across the country and through its own Nursery of Hope, plants trees in honor of children who are gone but never forgotten.

Inspired by their work, Owlet Cares has also launched a Nursery of Hope seedling program, which ships living tree seedlings to families who have lost a child, so they can plant and nurture a memorial wherever they live. Below, Allison shares her story.

By: Allison Uecker

Hope.

Hope doesn’t mean believing that everything will be okay, or that the loss of a child can somehow be undone. It doesn’t mean forgetting, moving on, or leaving the grief behind.

It means finding a reason to keep going while carrying the love and grief with you.

Sometimes, hope looks like a tiny seedling.

The Briggs & Barrett Project’s Nursery of Hope was created to give families a place to remember their little one—a place to grieve, but also a place to carry on. A place to find comfort and regain hope when you feel like all hope is gone. A place to watch a tiny seedling grow into a beautiful tree in memory of a child gone too soon.

The Briggs & Barrett Project’s Nursery of Hope program began in 2018, with the simple idea of giving families who have lost a child a living memorial to nurture and watch grow at a physical location in a Nebraska park. 

What started as a small gesture of remembrance has grown into something much bigger than we could have imagined. Today, there are more than 100 beautiful trees growing in two separate locations in Norfolk, Nebraska, each one commemorating a life that was gone far too soon.

Every tree represents a child.

Every tree represents a family.

Every tree represents a lifetime of love that did not end when that child’s life did.

For many families, these trees are especially meaningful because they provide a place to go and remember their child when there may not be a grave or headstone to visit. They give families somewhere to sit, reflect, talk to their child, bring a sibling, or simply be close to the child they miss so desperately.

And as the years pass, something beautiful happens.

The tree grows.

It changes with the seasons. It gets bigger. It becomes stronger.

And in some small way, families get to watch that growth alongside their own journey through grief.

The tree doesn’t replace the child. Nothing ever could.

But it becomes a tangible reminder that their child’s life mattered, their child is loved, and their child will always be remembered.

Each October, we gather together for the Wave of Light, an evening dedicated to remembering and honoring the babies and children whose lives were gone too soon. As part of this tradition, ornaments are placed on each Nursery of Hope tree for families to take home.

Something so simple—a small ornament—can carry so much meaning.

For families who have lost a child, the holiday season can be incredibly difficult. There are reminders everywhere. Decorating the house for fall. Gathering around the Thanksgiving table. Putting up the Christmas tree. Listening to Christmas music. Watching other families celebrate.

And for me, the Christmas tree is one of the hardest parts.

Barrett was only with us for three short months, but he absolutely loved looking at the Christmas tree. He loved watching the lights twinkle and the ornaments shake when his big brother would bump the tree.

I swear, every time I looked into his eyes, I could see the twinkle of Christmas lights.

Barrett died on December 15th, 2017—just 10 days before Christmas.

Every year when I put up my Christmas tree, I find myself looking at all of the ornaments and all of the spaces between them.

And I just can’t seem to fill all the holes.

Those empty spaces are a close representation of the holes I feel in my heart after losing Barrett.

There is an empty place that will always be there.

But the ornaments we receive through the Wave of Light help me fill some of those spaces.

When I hang an ornament for Barrett, I am reminded that he has not been forgotten.

I am reminded that his life mattered.

I am reminded that there are other people who remember him, who speak his name, and who understand that even though his life was incredibly short, the impact of his life will last forever.

And maybe that’s what the Nursery of Hope means to me most.

It is a reminder that grief and hope can exist in the same place.

That love doesn’t end when life ends.

That a tiny seedling can grow into something beautiful.

And that even in the middle of unimaginable loss, something good can still take root.

The Nursery of Hope isn’t just a collection of trees.

It is a collection of stories.

A collection of children who are deeply loved.

A place where families can say, “My child was here. My child mattered. My child is remembered.”

And perhaps most importantly, it is a place where hope continues to grow—one tree, one family, one memory, and one little life at a time.

Because hope doesn’t mean we stop missing them.

Hope means we carry their love with us and keep growing.

Author Bio:

Allison Uecker is the co-founder of Briggs & Barrett Project, located in Nebraska. Briggs & Barrett Project is dedicated to raising awareness of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) & Sudden Unexpected Infant Death (SUID), as well as provide critical support to families navigating this devastating experience. Inspired by two angels, Briggs and Barrett, our mission is to offer hope, education, and resources to ensure every baby sleeps safely.

To donate a seedling to a family that has experienced the loss of a child, visit the Owlet Nursery of Hope here. 

*Dream Sock® is intended to track baby's pulse rate and oxygen level and keep parents informed. Dream Sock is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any disease or other condition, including but not limited to, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) and/or Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV). Medical decisions should never be made solely using Dream Duo™ and Dream Sock data. Dream Duo and Dream Sock should not substitute for the care and oversight of an adult or consultation with medical professionals.