In a world where even grief has a price, one man in Topeka has quietly chosen to bear the burden for families facing unimaginable loss. His name is Troy, and he owns Midwest Cremation, a business that—like many in the industry—handles the delicate process of saying goodbye. But what sets Troy apart isn’t just his profession. It’s his calling.
Through a series of conversations with staff at Stormont Vail Health, I learned something remarkable: Midwest Cremation provides zero-cost cremations for miscarriages and infants. No bills. No hidden fees. Just a simple act of compassion for families who are already carrying more than they should ever have to bear.
I reached out to Troy to ask why. His response was as straightforward as it was profound.
“My wife and I went through it,” he said. “We know what it’s like. And when something like this happens, the last thing you’re thinking about is the cost.”
If you’ve never considered what happens in these heartbreaking moments, the details are difficult but necessary to understand. When a miscarriage occurs, hospital staff must ask parents about their wishes: whether the remains should be disposed of or prepared for parents to take with them. It’s a clinical question, presented at an impossibly emotional time. The choice is often unexpected, and for many, the cost of cremation or burial is an unplanned expense they never imagined having to confront.
Troy and his wife step in at this crucial moment. They remove financial barriers and offer what little comfort can exist in such a situation: dignity, respect, and a way forward without added stress.
“I’ve never been through something like this myself,” I told him. “But I know many who have.”
And then, the kind of response you’d expect from someone who does this work not out of obligation, but from the depths of his heart:
“Well,” he said, in his soft-spoken way, humor just beneath the surface, “I hope you never have to.”
There’s something about Troy that immediately puts you at ease. Maybe it’s his voice—gentle, but assured. Maybe it’s his perspective, the kind that only comes from having walked through grief and decided to lighten someone else’s load because of it.
In a time when small businesses are struggling, and when funeral costs can be staggering, here is a man quietly providing a service that is priceless. He doesn’t have to. He chooses to. And for the families who find themselves in the darkest moments of their lives, that choice means everything.
For many, service to the community is a slogan. For Troy, it’s a calling. And for those who have lost more than words can describe, it’s a grace they will never forget.
