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This week on Hope Comes to Visit, I’m joined by Michelle Valiukenas — founder of the The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation and mother to Sweet Pea, Colette, and Elliott.

Michelle’s story begins with what she believed would be a typical pregnancy. Instead, at just 21 weeks pregnant, she was diagnosed with severe preeclampsia and hospitalized immediately. Three weeks later, her daughter Colette was born at 24 weeks and 5 days and spent nine days in the NICU before Michelle and her husband lost her.

What Michelle created in the aftermath of that loss is extraordinary.

On Colette’s due date, Michelle launched a nonprofit dedicated to helping families facing high-risk pregnancies, NICU stays, and pregnancy and infant loss — particularly the financial realities that exist outside the walls of the hospital. Since then, the organization has provided more than $2 million in direct assistance to thousands of families nationwide.

But this conversation is about more than grief.

It’s about what happens when women finally begin sharing the stories they were taught to whisper about.

It’s about how common pregnancy complications and loss truly are — and how isolating silence can become.

It’s about motherhood, advocacy, survival, healthcare, and the powerful reminder that telling the truth about our experiences helps other people feel less alone.

Michelle’s honesty, compassion, and strength moved me deeply, and I’m so grateful she trusted me with this conversation.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.

The Colette Louise Tisdahl Foundation

00:00 Introduction
02:08 Michelle’s nonprofit background
03:20 A normal pregnancy until everything changed
06:26 Severe preeclampsia diagnosis at 21 weeks
08:50 The financial realities families face
13:31 Delivering Colette at 24 weeks
15:18 Hearing Colette cry for the first time
16:08 Losing Colette after 9 days in the NICU
17:25 Turning grief into purpose
21:23 “Director of Hugs” and family healing
25:47 Why sharing our stories matters
27:12 How the foundation helps families
32:30 Financial crisis and medical trauma
35:59 Pregnancy loss statistics and isolation
37:37 Reproductive healthcare and Roe v. Wade
46:41 How Michelle defines hope
47:52 Where to find the foundation
48:45 The power of storytelling

I couldn’t agree more.

Listen wherever you get your podcasts.

I’m so grateful you spent this time with us today.

If Hope Comes to Visit has become a bright spot in your week, I’d love for you to subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or wherever you listen so you never miss an episode.

And if this conversation resonated with you, sharing it with a friend, leaving a review, or simply telling someone about the show helps more than you know.

Until next time, take good care of yourself. And remember—your story matters.

New episodes drop every Monday, so you can begin your week with a little light and a lot of hope.

For more stories, reflections, and ways to connect, visit www.DanielleElliottSmith.com or follow along on Instagram @daniellesmithtv and @HopeComestoVisit