For Family Birthing Services nurse Kali Linn, caring for patients has always been deeply personal. But in December 2024, her role as a nurse became inseparable from her role as a mother when she and her husband, John Linn, experienced the unimaginable loss of their daughter.

Kali began her career at WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital in December 2021, initially working in critical care before joining the Family Birthing Services team in July 2024 – a specialty she had long felt called to. Just months later, as she and John prepared to welcome their first child, everything changed.

At 38 weeks and one day, Kali experienced a full-term intrauterine fetal demise. She chose to deliver her baby girl, Kinsley, at the very hospital where she worked, surrounded by colleagues who became caregivers in the most profound way.

“Everyone came in, cried with us, prayed with us,” Kali said. “They made sure we had time, support and moments we could never get back.”

After Kinsley’s birth, Kali and John were able to spend three full days with their daughter thanks to a specialized cooling device called a CuddleCot, which gently slows natural physical changes and allows families additional time with their baby.

“The three days is all you have,” Kali said. “Being able to hold her, read to her, share music and simply be together — those are memories we will treasure forever.”

They read to Kinsley, danced with her, introduced her to family and friends, and created keepsakes to take home so they would not leave the hospital empty-handed.

Moved by the impact the CuddleCot had on their own healing, Kali and John were determined to ensure other families would have the same opportunity. Through personal fundraising and community support, they donated a CuddleCot to WellSpan Chambersburg Hospital’s labor and delivery unit in Kinsley’s memory.

“To give other parents the chance to hold their baby and make memories – it means everything,” Kali said. “This gives families something to hold on to.”

After taking time to grieve, Kali returned to Family Birthing Services with a deeper sense of empathy and purpose. Her colleagues supported her with compassion and flexibility as she navigated her return.

“Treating them like this is still their baby – remembering names, holding space – that matters,” Kali said. “What families fear most is that their baby will be forgotten.”

Kali and John recently welcomed their second daughter, Kennedy Hope Linn. Her middle name reflects healing, faith and the future they continue to embrace.

Kinsley’s legacy lives on – in her parents’ love, in Kali’s caregiving and in the precious gift of time now given to other families when they need it most.