Natalie's Everyday Heroes: Wild and Precious Boutique helps women heal after pregnancy loss

 

GRAFTON, Wis. (CBS 58) -- Wild and Precious Boutique is a store in Grafton that sells clothing and home goods. Opal Stone owns the store. She wants it to be a space that inspires. And she's using her own personal experience with pregnancy loss to do that.

Everything in Wild and Precious is perfectly placed, even if running the store doesn't always feel that way.

"I call it beautiful chaos. I feel like it's always chaos," Stone said with a laugh.

She opened Wild and Precious four years ago. The name comes from a poem she got for graduation.

"And the last lines of the poem are, 'tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life,'" she said.

Stone, a business owner and a mom, knows how precious life can be.

"I'm a mom of four earthside, and four in heaven," she said.

There are little touches everywhere.

"This is one I designed shortly after my loss," she said, holding up a card addressing pregnancy loss. 

Cards, mugs and what she calls boxes of strength. Items specifically for women who've experienced the loss.

"And so, after my first pregnancy loss, I did design a collection of items that really spoke to me as I was going through the experience," she recalled.

Stone designs and hand-letters many of the things in the store. She started that part of her business 10 years ago.

"Opal has created a space in her store that is about so much more than just gifts and shopping," said friend, Emily Landers.

Landers runs A Little Something, A Lot of Love. She created care packages, called Joy Bombs, for women who've lost a baby.

"Opal actually reached out to me before she even knew me," Landers said of their initial connection.

Stone contacted Landers on social media to help her cause, donating "hug in a mug" mugs. That was just the start.

"It's been really rewarding and fulfilling," Stone said of their relationship.

The two now host Mamas of Angels nights at the store.

"When you're with other women and people who have gone through pregnancy loss, they understand completely the emotions and all of the feelings surrounding that loss," Landers said.

Stone says it's bittersweet, but also wild and precious.

"I hoped sharing my story and being vulnerable about my losses would also make others feel comforted and ultimately they weren't alone," Stone said.

Stone has also launched an online group for women called "The Wild Flowers." You can find different events and workshops hosted at the store on its website, wildpreciousboutique.com. You can also follow along on Instagram at @wildpreciousbotique.

If you'd like to nominate an everyday hero, send Natalie a message at [email protected].