Meet – A – Mom
Brittany Crystal
Where are you from originally and how long have you lived in town?
I am originally from Ridgefield. I lived here from three years old until college. I went to Lehigh University (undergrad) and then lived abroad and around the country (working and studying) until I came back to CT in my late 20s. My husband and I moved back to Ridgefield specifically when we decided to start a family (about 5 and half years ago).
One thing people would be surprised to know about you…
I always have a tough time with this question….perhaps that I have two different color eyelashes? One is blonde and the other is black
Favorite things to do in your free time?
Spending time with my husband and son, really just enjoying each other’s company. Between errands and working…it’s so rare you get that time- so I really treasure it! We’re a pretty typical Ridgefield family, we love visiting the local farms and walking around the local lakes and trails.
Are you involved in a business venture, a local organization, a creative endeavor, or in the corporate world? Please share!
Yes. I am the founder of The Iris Fund. Our daughter died due to complications of being born too early (about 28 weeks- an age at which most babies survive). And while I was still in the hospital recovering from the stat c-section, we asked the doctors how we don’t know more about pre-term birth and how to prevent it. I was shocked when the response my family got was ‘well we don’t actually know what triggers full-term labor.’
We started Iris’s legacy there, within days of her death. I firmly believe that all mothers and families should be able to go to the OBGYN and get the basics answers as to how their bodies work during labor. I am so inspired that the same answers that will help relieve stress and give confidence to our full-term moms will eventually save our pre-term babies!
Iris was given her name early in pregnancy- and is the Greek Goddess of the rainbow. We think the universality and hope of her legacy are fitting for her name. So the big idea is – fund the research that will first answer what triggers full-term labor to eventually end pre-term birth.
How has this community been instrumental in getting you to where you are now?
Grief is a wild ride! Many of us moms who have lost a child need some kind of mix of action and counseling after a loss. The Iris Fund has helped me personally move forward in my grief process and has focused my energies on her legacy and helping other families, which will now be a huge part of what our family does, for the rest of our lives.