Our Team

My name is Haley Admire and I am an Angel Ambassador for NFTS!  I have 3 children, one in heaven and two here on earth (Kenna and Mya (our rainbow baby). My son Matthew passed away in February of 2019 from Trisomy 13, a chromosomal disorder that is considered “incompatible with life”. We were blessed with 33 incredible hours with him before he passed.  

NFTS has been so instrumental in my grief. The people I have met through this organization have become not only friends, but family. NFTS helps me to heal by giving me a space to speak freely about Matthew and allows me the opportunity to help other moms who are also navigating this difficult journey.

Hi! I am Lindsey Backhaus and I am an Angel Ambassador for the Dubuque area. In March 2018, my husband and I lost our son Cohen following a placental abruption. 

Being a part of NFTS has allowed my husband and I to share our angel, grieve with other families who have experienced infant loss, and find hope after loss. I am truly grateful for the support that the NFTS mom's groups has provided me. Grief can feel lonely, and NFTS has given me a sense of community and love as I navigate through this journey. 

Hi there!  I'm Renae Black and I am the Angel Ambassador for the Cedar Rapids/ Iowa City area.

Our son, Cael was stillborn at 37w6d due to untreated preeclampsia on October 11, 2013.  I knew in my heart that there was something wrong but my doctor wouldn't listen to me or take my concerns seriously.  Because of that, our baby boy died and I almost didn't make it as well.  

My husband and I have 4 kids: Cael, Sallie (9), Ellie (7) and Jameson (5).  Before NFTS, I felt alone and yearned for a way to be a mother to Cael.  Because of NFTS, I get to remember him, say his name, tell his story and help fellow loss mom's through their own grief journey; and teach them that you can live with both happiness and grief.

I am Ellen Darcy, a dedicated Angel Ambassador for NFTS. I am a mother to three beautiful children—Harrison (10) and Maeve (7), who light up my world, and Caroline, our angel, who left us too soon in March 2019 due to a rare genetic disorder.

My relationship with NFTS has been a cornerstone in navigating the complex landscape of grief. The organization has not just introduced me to incredible women, but it has also gifted me with a safe space where we can share our stories and give voice to our angels. 

It is a privilege to contribute to the healing journeys of other mothers facing this difficult journey, much like how NFTS has been instrumental in my own healing. 

My name is Brad Felty and I am a No Foot Too Small  Angel Ambassador in Des Moines, Iowa. My wife Lindsay and I lost our son, Liam Michael Felty on September 9th, 2012. Losing Liam at 37.5 weeks was unimaginable and devastating. NFTS has given us the opportunity to grieve, celebrate, honor and remember Liam. As an Angel Ambassador, my goal is to help other families discover ways to grieve, celebrate, honor and remember their angels as well.

My name is Lindsay Felty. My husband Brad and I had a full term stillborn son on September 9th, 2012.  Liam Michael Felty weighed 5 pounds 2 ounces and was 19.5 inches long.

With grief unimaginable and pain unspeakable, we were thrust into waters we had no idea how to navigate. By the grace of God and with the love and support of family and friends, we have begun to chart a course of healing for ourselves, our family and the lives of others who have been touched by this horrific tragedy.

One of the people that came into my life after we lost Liam was Robin Boudreau, who introduced me to No Foot Too Small. Having platform to share Liam’s story, say his name, validate his life, give purpose to the pain, and to keep his memory alive brings me joy. No Foot Too Small is making big strides around the country to help those who will experience pregnancy and infant loss in the future and I am proud to be a part of it. I have a unique opportunity to walk along side others who are on this journey of forever grief. To build a community of support in time when loss is usually kept silent.

“There is no foot too small that it can not leave and imprint on this world.”

For Liam! We love and miss you, precious boy!

My name is Nicole Jennett, and I am an Angel Advocate for NFTS. I have two children at home and four children in heaven. My angels are Isaac, Mallory, Gavin and Kaylee. NFTS has not only taught me to say my angels names and be the voice for their stories, but it has also allowed me to share my angels with my living children in ways I never thought were possible. We are able to celebrate our whole family in community with others who understand how complicated loss can be. My angels continue to drive my passion for normalizing conversations around infant and pregnancy loss. 

My name is Katie Kruse and I am the Sioux City - Angel Ambassador and Angel Advocate for NFTS!  I have had 6 pregnancies; giving me 3 boys on earth, one daughter in heaven, and two early miscarriages. My daughter, Elizabeth Amy was born sleeping at 26 weeks on December 22, 2019 due to Trisomy 18. Trisomy 18 is a chromosomal disorder that is considered “incompatible with life”.  

NFTS has allowed me to put my grief into purpose. I love my living boys however NFTS gives me space to love and honor my daughter in unique and special ways. Showing that love and grief can coexist while making memories in honor of our daughter and making lifelong friendships!   Pregnancy loss is a difficult journey and NFTS ensures, no one does it alone!

Hi! I am Abby Luehmann, and I am an Angel Advocate in the Cedar Valley. My husband, Adam, and I have 3 sons. 2 living and one in heaven. Greyson (7), Jude (3) and our angel, AJ (5). In July of 2018, after a difficult pregnancy, we delivered our son AJ at 22 weeks. We were lucky to spend every minute of his short life with him. 

Being a part of No Foot Too Small has allowed me to find the community I had been searching for. It has allowed my husband and I to openly talk about and celebrate AJ. I am forever grateful for No Foot Too Small. My world was crumbling, and I didn’t know where to turn. No Foot Too Small has been there to help me through.

My name is Amy Pope and I am an Angel Ambassador for the Des Moines area.  I have four angels in heaven. Two of our angels, Grace and Isabelle, were born extremely premature during the second trimester of each of their pregnancies. We are so grateful we had the opportunity to meet each of our girls and create a few precious memories before laying them to rest.  Our other two angels were early miscarriages. After 8 long years of trying endlessly for our rainbow, we finally welcomed our sweet and perfect baby boy, Jameson in January of 2023. 

NFTS came into our lives shortly after our very first loss in 2016. The club nobody really ever thought they would be a part of, really does have the absolute best people who will stand by your side through the thick and thin moments. It is a truly safe space where you can speak freely about your angel(s) and their stories. Every baby’s story deserves to be heard and celebrated. I am so honored to be able to support others experiencing similar heartache. 

Grace Marie 2/28/2016

Baby Pope 1/2017

Isabelle Rose 9/3/2018

Baby Pope 5/2019

Hello! My name is Kirsten Radke and I am an Angel Advocate for NFTS. I found my way to NFTS following the stillbirth of our daughter, Riley Louise, in August of 2020. I heavily leaned into the support and community of NFTS as my husband and I learned to navigate grief, my own medical complications and surgeries, and an early miscarriage in 2021. In the midst of our challenges, NFTS gave life to Riley's story and surrounded our family as we traversed the journey of pregnancy-after-loss to welcome our living child, Raymond, in 2022. NFTS has been a keystone as our family has walked through life after loss.

Hello! I am Jade Spielman, Angel Ambassador for Ames, IA.  I have 2 living boys; Caymen (12) and Saxton (7), and one sweet daughter, Selah (2/12/2018), in heaven. 

When I first found NFTS, I was about 9 months out from my loss and still had hardly talked to anyone about losing Selah. Honestly, I didn't know how to.  One of the first things I noticed at my first moms group for NFTS was the vulnerability, beauty, and rawness of all the moms and how they shared their babies with such pride.  These women were the first women to show me how to talk about, celebrate, and remember Selah.  They modeled support and camaraderie and reminded me that even if we don't have support in our immediate community, we have support in each other because we ALL get it. I consider it a privilege to be able to walk alongside families in some of the most difficult times of their lives, while simultaneously celebrating our babies and helping each other on this journey.  THIS is what NFTS is all about.  

| mama | wifey | nurse | angel ambassador | fashionista | coffee-lover | gym rat | netflix binger | friend | 

My husband Brett and I are the parents to two living sons, William (5 yrs) and Jameson (2 yrs), and one (baby girl) on the way! We also have two heavenly children, Peyton, born at 22 6/7 weeks gestation due to preterm labor and an incompetent cervix, and Patrick, born at 18 weeks due to major neural tube defects and anomalies.  I am passionate about helping grieving mamas and families during the depths of their sorrows as well as helping them to celebrate their angels babies when their days become a little sunnier.  Professionally I am a former labor and delivery nurse and currently work at a Women's Health + OBGYN Clinic. I also serve as the Angel Ambassador to the Cedar Valley and help to organize and "host" our quarterly Mom's Groups in Cedar Falls. 

My name is Kristine Vanderwiel. I have two daughters at home and a son in heaven. Theodore Allen Vanderwiel was born in February of 2019 at 20 weeks and 4 days. I experienced complications from placenta accreta, causing him to come early. Being so small, he survived just minutes before passing away. I found NFTS about 6 months after we lost Theo and attended my first mom's group in Des Moines. 

This community has given me the courage and confidence to share my story of loss and my baby boy. It's a blessing to watch my family and friends embrace Theo's memory and share it with others. NFTS has provided a community and platform for me to celebrate and remember Theo, and for that I'll be forever grateful.

Hi! I am Becca - one of the Angel Ambassadors for the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City area. My daughter, Vivianne, was stillborn at 37w4d in July of 2016. It was the tragic result of an untreated infection. It is the honor of my life to share her, and to play any role I can in supporting other families who have suffered similar tragedies. 

This grief is like love in the form of a heavy coat. Some days, you can manage to wear it really well. Other days, as if it got soaked in a downpour, it can feel nearly impossible. I want to be there for others' on all the days, and I am forever grateful for all those in our No Foot Too Small family who have helped me carry my own "coat" on the days it felt too heavy. NFTS is the reason I discovered that I could celebrate Vivs life, and that others would do it with me. That has been the most beautiful and life changing thing. 

My name is Joe Yokum and I am a No Foot Too Small Angel Ambassador in Iowa City, Iowa. My wife Lynsey and I lost our daughter, Gracyn Jane Yokum on July 28th, 2010 following the premature birth of both her and her sister, Emersyn. Losing Gracyn at 26.4 weeks was an event that I did not ever imagine happening to us and a journey that took 8+ years to fully understand.  But, with the help of NFTS we have been able to fully grieve, celebrate, honor and remember Gracyn. As an Angel Ambassador, my desire is to help other families navigate their grief journey while finding ways to celebrate and honor their angels.