Elizabeth, or as most know her, Liz, is originally from New Jersey but has been living in Washington, D.C. since attending college at The George Washington University. After receiving her masters in elementary education, Liz was a dedicated math and science public school teacher for 7 years.  

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The death of her first child, Aaliyah, sparked many changes in Liz's life and has led her down a new path in life. After a very public battle with the school system over her right to paid family leave, Liz was able to push for the D.C. Council to pass an emergency bereavement bill, allowing up to 2 weeks paid leave for parents who have experienced a stillbirth. The Council eventually amended the DC Paid Family Leave Policy to include stillbirth in October 2021.

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After the loss of Aaliyah, and Liz's subsequent treatment from her employer, she received hundreds of messages from other mothers and families who have traveled down a similar path of loss. In the days following the return home from the hospital, Liz, known as the "spa girl" among friends and family, received numerous self-care items. She tried to use one thing each day, which felt like an "accomplishment" during a time of such intense grief and self doubt. After reading and responding to as many messages as she could, Liz knew she needed to make a legacy for her daughter, Aaliyah, by helping others going through the same immense grief.  

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A Focus on Self-Care: A Unique Path to Healing

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Instead of creating a traditional support group—an area where many exceptional organizations already excel—Liz chose to focus on the transformative role self-care played in her own healing journey and extend that impact to others experiencing perinatal or neonatal loss.

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When Liz and Aaliyah's father left the hospital, they carried only a memory box—a touching but painful reminder of their loss. The box, holding Aaliyah's handprints, footprints, baby blanket, and hat, symbolized the heartbreaking reality of leaving the hospital without their daughter. This deeply personal experience sparked the idea for Aaliyah in Action self-care packages, thoughtfully designed to be distributed to families still in the hospital.

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These self-care packages are not intended to "fix" the pain of loss—because nothing can replace the joy of holding your baby in your arms. Instead, they serve as a gentle hug from someone who truly understands the grief. Liz hopes families feel that hug each time they use an item from their package, providing small moments of comfort during an unimaginably difficult time.

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Curating these packages with products from small, local, women-owned, and Black-owned businesses is an integral part of Aaliyah in Action’s mission. This approach reflects the values Aaliyah would have embodied and her potential to give back to her community. Every package not only supports grieving families but also uplifts these businesses, creating a broader impact.

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Building Aaliyah’s Legacy

 

This journey has been anything but easy, but Liz views it as her way of parenting Aaliyah. As Aaliyah in Action continues to grow nationally, Liz feels her daughter’s legacy coming to life.

When announcing Aaliyah’s passing on Instagram, Liz wrote: “I firmly believe our Aaliyah Denise was too perfect and would've been too powerful for this world.” This sentiment motivates her daily as she works tirelessly to expand Aaliyah in Action’s reach. The organization’s rapid growth since its inception is a testament to Aaliyah’s enduring power and impact on the world.