Nonprofit to help Ripley County families who lose a child

Amber (right) and Cheryl are using their tragedies to help others

(OSGOOD, Ind.) – A local mom has lived through the nightmare of losing a child.

She now wants to use her grief and the lessons learned to help other parents who face a similar tragedy.

Amber (Wilson) Bruser received the horrifying call that 19-year-old Landen Comer was killed in a crash in November 2024. 

Comer was one of two people killed in the Osgood crash that also claimed the life of 24-year-old Nathan Vogelsang. 

She has spent the past 15 months not only dealing with her loss but also gaining an understanding of what is lacking when a child dies. 

“Within 24 hours of my own loss, I began to compile a list of these gaps that needed to be filled by someone,” she said. 

Amber noticed that there are a lot of similarities in the gaps of support during the early moments of the tragedy. 

“When the police officer makes the death notification you are obviously in shock. And there are so many questions that come up after they leave, that nobody else can really answer,” she said.

Those experiences have led Amber, as well as Nathan's mom Cheryl, to create the nonprofit called Mothers Of Young Angels (MOYA).

The nonprofit is composed mostly of mothers who have experienced the tragic loss of a child. 

MOYA's goal is to be an immediate resource for families and to also be there for lifelong support.

“When you lose a child your whole world comes to a stop. A week earlier, it may have been easy to pick out a dress for a visitation or even select songs for a funeral, but everything becomes an extremely stressful process. All the while you are mourning,” she said. 

When a Ripley County family loses a young child, MOYA will be available from the onset to assist in everything from advocating for the family with the funeral home, providing immediate needs, and answering questions and providing support.

“The moms I’ve talked to say one blessing was an immediate needs basket that has items ranging from Tylenol, protein bars, electrolyte packets for water and even disposable utensils,” Amber said. “It typically takes churches and other community groups a few days to get things in order and something as simple as a basket can go a long way.”

In regard to the funeral, one mom has even mentioned that they felt rushed at the funeral home because there was another visitation later that day. This group will work to make sure that doesn't happen.

Another way MOYA can help: Ensuring community donations are properly being organized and handled. 

Amber saw a fake Go Fund Me account get created following her child’s passing. The group will assist the family to make sure donation drives are streamlined and legitimate. 

The moms involved in MOYA also understand that their work isn’t limited to the first few days. 

“It's typically the two-week mark that a lot of support drops off and people go back to their normal lives. The first week is very busy, people are still calling the next week, but two weeks after is when it gets quiet and even harder,” she said. 

Another way the group can help is if the child’s death captures the attention of the news. The group can guide the family through that process to ensure the media that doesn't add to the stress.

MOYA has just been officially formed as a nonprofit and is currently based in Ripley County only. Board members include Cheryl Vogelsang (Vice President/Co-founder), Christy Sutton and Stephanie Schwing-Stamper. 

You can support the group by making a donation to any Napoleon State Bank. Just ask for the donation to be made to the Mothers of Young Angels. 

“These donations will be used for immediate needs of the family including a start-up to collect funds for the family through a local bank,” Amber said. 

If anyone is interested in volunteering with MOYA they can privately message them through their Facebook page or email mothersofyoungangels@gmail.com.

You can access their Facebook page by clicking here.

"Also, if anyone is interested in starting a MOYA chapter in their county, please send us an email,” Amber added.