Christyan Ronald Pierce and Jayden Samuel Pierce were born to parents Ron and Samantha Pierce on July 17, and July 18, 2009 respectively. They were born at 21.6 weeks with no chance of survival and died within minutes of their birth. Ron and Sam experienced many levels of grief, but also many levels of healing along the way. As a result, The Christyan Jayden Project was born ten years after their children’s birth and passing to address the needs of families that are experiencing infant loss.

Ron and Sam have been deeply involved in helping families to live while grieving the loss of a child and raising awareness around how systemic racism contributes to the high levels of life-threatening stress for expectant black mothers. They have partnered with First Year Cleveland to form PAIL (Pregnancy and Infant Loss Society) whose mission is to “provide hope and healing from African American providers to African American men and women who are pregnant, new parents, and to those who have experienced miscarriage, stillbirth or infant death”. They were also instrumental in the launch of OWN (Our Wellness Network), a network comprised of Black therapists, parents, and lay leaders, available to help Black families who have experienced a miscarriage, stillbirth or an infant death situation. Through their work with PAIL and OWN, Ron and Sam have been able to build connections between people living throughout Cleveland to pregnancy, grief, and support services. 

Toxic Stress induced by the inequities of systematic racism and socioeconomic disparities has been linked to the increased rates of infant mortality (March of Dimes). A report by First Year Cleveland states, "the infant mortality rate in Cuyahoga County is one of the highest in the United States. The numbers are especially concerning for Black babies." COVID-19 and the recent uplifting of race-related civil unrest are compounding to the Toxic Stress already present in communities of color. Connecting people to support groups, mental health, and women's health professionals begin with access. Prior to COVID-19, people were able to access resources by going to neighborhood festivals, through their child/grandchild's school, local libraries, and community centers. Today, these spaces to gather, stay informed, and connect have not been available to residents. To continue connecting people to resources, CJP needs to shift to bringing programming and professionals into the community by using a combination of small group gathers, zoom video conferencing, and podcasting. By providing a variety of ways to receive the same information at the same time, more people will be able to receive the help they need instead of isolating with feelings of grief, depression, and somethings physical pain. Also, people will be able to hear from and talk with others who share the experience of child loss, building upon their supportive community.