Community Connections
Shining a local light on:
The Iris Fund
Proudly serving:
Learn more about their charity:
Community Connections
Community Connections shines a light on local charities whose compassion, service, and dedication strengthen the fabric of our community. By sharing their stories, we hope to inspire others and help the spirit of giving spread throughout our towns.
Under the spotlight today: The Iris Fund
An interview with Brittney Crystal, The Iris Fund
How do you brighten our community?
We brighten our community by turning heartbreak into hope. 💜
The Iris Fund raises awareness about preterm birth, funds groundbreaking research to better understand and prevent it, and lifts up the voices of families who have experienced loss. We bring people together — parents, doctors, researchers, and advocates — to spark real change in maternal and infant health.
Through education, policy efforts, and community support, we’re building a future where more babies are born healthy and more families feel seen, heard, and supported.
Who do you serve in our community?
We serve preterm birth and loss families and the research we support will help us understand how all pregnant bodies work.
What are you most proud of?
I’m most proud of turning grief into action. 💜 What began as heartbreak has grown into a community of families, clinicians, and researchers working together to change the future of pregnancy and preterm birth. Seeing real research funded, clinics launched, patient voices centered in training, and policy conversations shift — that’s what means the most.
But truly, I’m proudest of the families who show up, share their stories, and make sure no one has to navigate loss or high-risk pregnancy alone. That collective courage is what drives everything forward.
What was the spark that started your organization?
What is one of your future impact goals?
One of our biggest future impact goals is to fundamentally change how pregnancy is supported and studied. 💜
We want to see Pregnancy After Loss clinics accessible across the country — with trained clinicians, standardized protocols, and integrated mental health support — so families don’t have to navigate fear and uncertainty alone.
At the same time, we’re committed to accelerating research into the root causes of preterm birth and stillbirth, so fewer families experience loss in the first place. Our goal is simple but ambitious: better answers, better care, and healthier outcomes for every family.
How did you change a life?
Who are your community partners?
Local-Insta thanks Fairfield County Bank for making our Community Connections series possible!
Celebrating the charities that make our community stronger.
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