Kiersten Kunke
May 2026
Kiersten
Kunke
,
BSN, RNC-OB, IBCLC
Legacy Silverton Medical Center
Silverton
,
OR
United States
Kiersten was not this patient's nurse but spent many hours making plaster molds of the infant’s feet and hands and making a beautiful keepsake collection for the family.
We cared for a patient who was experiencing a devastating pregnancy loss, delivering a stillborn infant. Kiersten was not this patient's nurse but spent many hours making plaster molds of the infant’s feet and hands and making a beautiful keepsake collection for the family. This was outside of her tasks for the day, but the time she took, without being asked, was an invaluable memento for this family. They will have a beautiful keepsake box with tangible items to remember their little one. No one else here was able to provide what she did, and there is no doubt that this served as a salve to their aching hearts. This is how Kiersten is; she is always finding ways to make an impact and quietly does these things without making a big deal. This family is not the only family she has helped in this way. We had no real keepsakes to offer, and Kiersten not only obtained and donated the plaster kit but also made a step-by-step binder to teach others how to make them. She helps with every loss by creating keepsakes, and I am so grateful for her and for how she skillfully fills this very important need for our patients. This is one of the hardest parts of our job, and her desire to ensure they do not go home empty-handed is an emotional labor in itself. Even if she never did this again, the impact on our grieving community members is immeasurable.