Lauren McLean is the Executive Director and Chair of the Board for The Still Remembered Project. Before helping to form The Still Remembered Project, for 5 years Lauren co-led Mothers of Angels, a Christian based pregnancy and infant loss monthly support group. She earned her bachelors degree from Mercyhurst College and has a Masters of Arts in Human Services with a Marriage and Family Cognate from Liberty University. Lauren has also earned her grief counseling certificate from the American Institute of Healthcare Professionals. In 2017, Lauren earned her Stillbirthday Birth & Bereavement Doula® (SBD) certification. She is comprehensively trained and certified to support families in the places where birth & bereavement meet. This includes providing support in any trimester with any outcome.
As Executive Director, Lauren works to organize, plan and execute daily tasks and upcoming events for The Still Remembered Project. She oversees the various projects for the organization and is diligent to make sure that The Still Remembered Project runs effectively, efficiently and is growing in our community. Lauren is in constant communication with board members, volunteers, hospitals, funeral homes and, most of all, bereaved mothers.
Lauren began working in pregnancy and infant loss after she and her husband Jason lost their first baby, their son Emerson, in March of 2010 to a rare genetic disease. When Lauren was 20 weeks pregnant with Emerson, the doctors discovered that he had a condition called autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease, which affected his kidney and lung development in utero. Lauren and Jason were given a choice to either carry or terminate the pregnancy, and they chose to carry their son. When Emerson was born, he lived for three hours and was able to be an organ donor. Like many other bereaved parents, Lauren and Jason were heartbroken as they quickly said goodbye to their precious son. After his death, the McLeans attended support groups in Pittsburgh and felt called to begin helping other couples and families that are touched by pregnancy/infant loss. It was a year after Emerson’s death that Lauren helped to build the Mothers of Angels group. That group grew and it had been on Lauren’s heart to take it to the next level, building a nonprofit. God aligned the right bereaved families to help build the Still Remembered Project, and in April of 2016 the organization was born.
Since losing their son, the McLeans have gone on to have three daughters and another son all of whom are very much aware of their big brother in heaven. Lauren and Jason also suffered an early miscarriage in September of 2015. They are both are advocates for Pregnancy/infant loss and have spoken at a variety of events in the Pittsburgh area since Emerson’s death.
Lauren leans daily on her faith, her sisters in loss and believes that a little love and grace towards one another goes along way. By showing empathy, compassion and having a heart to serve, Lauren is committed to her work in the pregnancy/infant loss community. She is humbled and forever thankful for her sisters in loss that stepped up to help her in her fresh grief and still support her today.
