Our Story
On January 24, 2023, Patrick Clancy’s world was forever changed when his three beloved children—Cora, Dawson, and Callan—died as a result of postpartum psychosis. In those first unimaginable days, Pat made a vow: “They will always be remembered, and I will work so this never happens to another family.”
Pat began sharing his family’s story and a vision for change—illuminating the silent crisis of perinatal mental health and championing compassion, systemic reform, and dependable care for every family. Out of that groundswell of grief, hope, and collective resolve, the Heard Foundation was born in 2024—a family-led nonprofit with Pat joined by his sisters, Erin Donahue and Laura Sullivan, as co-founders.
Its purpose is as bold as it is personal: to reimagine perinatal mental health care, to build a dedicated treatment center where parents can heal with dignity and love, and to foster a culture of kindness and community so no parent struggles alone.
Guided by Cora’s nightly prayer—“Thank you for a beautiful day in the neighborhood”—and Pat’s conviction that love always wins, Heard turns heartbreak into a living force for good. Every initiative, partnership, and program carries forward the joy and light of Cora, Dawson, and Callan, ensuring their memory shapes a better future for families everywhere.
The Roots of
With Love from Duxbury
In the months following the tragedy, a group of local moms and friends began With Love From Duxbury Day (WLFD)—a grassroots movement of kindness in the Clancy family’s hometown of Duxbury, Massachusetts.
On the first anniversary of Cora, Dawson, and Callan’s passing, neighbors, schools, and businesses united in hundreds of acts of love and service, proving that compassion can flourish even in grief.
By 2024, the Heard Foundation and With Love From Duxbury Day merged into a single heartbeat—two expressions of one shared mission to provide love and support to families everywhere.
What started as a single day of remembrance is now both a signature annual event each January 24 and a year-round movement of care, inspiring communities far and wide to show that love is stronger than loss—and that love always wins.
Why Heard? Why Herd?
The name Heard carries two meanings:
Heard – every parent deserves to feel seen, supported, and validated.
Herd – the strength of community and collective action walking beside parents in their most vulnerable moments.
This dual meaning captures our mission: to ensure every parent is heard and every family has a herd.
Our Work Today
Heard is building a new model of perinatal mental health care—one that begins with compassion in every neighborhood and extends all the way to specialized treatment. We are raising awareness, funding, and access to care while partnering with medical leaders to create Massachusetts’ first dedicated perinatal mental health treatment center.
At the same time, through With Love From Duxbury Day, national campaigns, and a growing network of donors and volunteers, we are weaving year-round kindness and community support into everyday life.
Together these efforts form one mission: to ensure every parent feels heard, supported, and surrounded by love from the first signs of need to the highest level of care.
In Loving Memory
Every initiative, event, and partnership we create is rooted in honoring the lives of three extraordinary children.
Gentle, joyful, and full of imagination. Remembered through her rainbow heart, her love of princesses, and the kindness she shared so freely.
Gentle, joyful, and full of imagination. Remembered through her rainbow heart, her love of princesses, and the kindness she shared so freely.
Gentle, joyful, and full of imagination. Remembered through her rainbow heart, her love of princesses, and the kindness she shared so freely.