A foundation born from love, loss, and an unwavering belief that no mother should face the unknown alone — especially when better information could make all the difference.
Colter's Watch: Cord Prevention Foundation was founded by Derek and Chasity Holzapfel of Mount Sterling, Kentucky — parents who turned the most profound grief of their lives into something that could protect and serve other families.
The foundation is named in memory of their son, Colter James Holzapfel, who was lost to a cord accident. In the wake of that loss, Derek and Chasity asked a simple but powerful question: could better access to imaging have made a difference? That question became the foundation's reason for existing.
We believe that every pregnant mother — regardless of income — deserves access to the most complete picture possible of her baby's health. A Level 2 ultrasound with color Doppler capability can provide information about the umbilical cord, placenta, and fetal anatomy that a standard ultrasound simply cannot. For high-risk mothers who cannot afford this imaging out of pocket, that gap in access is a gap in safety.
Colter's Watch exists to close that gap. We fund Level 2 ultrasounds for high-risk and low-income pregnant mothers by paying partner clinics directly — so no mother has to choose between the cost of a scan and the peace of mind that comes with it.
"Forever in our hearts."
Colter's life — though brief — set something in motion that will protect mothers and babies for years to come. His name lives on in every scan we fund, every mother we reach, and every family that gets more time together because of this work.
Every decision we make — from how we screen partners to how we structure our grants — flows back to these three commitments.
The sooner a concern is identified, the more options a care team has. We fund imaging that gives both mothers and their providers the most complete picture possible — earlier in the pregnancy when it matters most.
Every mother deserves to make decisions about her pregnancy with full information. We believe access to quality imaging is not a luxury — it is a basic component of informed maternal care.
Cost should never be the reason a mother misses critical imaging. By partnering with local clinics and paying directly, we remove financial barriers at the point of care — right in the communities where families live.
Understanding the difference between a standard and a Level 2 ultrasound helps explain why access to this imaging matters so much for high-risk pregnancies.
A Level 2 ultrasound — also called a targeted or anatomy ultrasound — is a detailed, comprehensive scan performed by a specially trained sonographer. It goes significantly beyond a routine prenatal ultrasound in scope and resolution, examining fetal anatomy, organ development, placental position, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord structure.
Many Level 2 ultrasounds include color Doppler imaging, which visualizes blood flow in real time. This allows providers to assess how blood moves through the umbilical cord and placenta — detecting issues such as abnormal cord insertion, flow restriction, or unusual cord positioning that may warrant closer monitoring.
The umbilical cord is the baby's lifeline — it carries oxygen and nutrients from placenta to baby throughout the entire pregnancy. Cord abnormalities such as true knots, nuchal cords, velamentous insertion, or single umbilical artery can sometimes be identified or monitored with advanced imaging. Awareness gives care teams the opportunity to plan accordingly.
Standard prenatal care typically includes one or two routine ultrasounds. A Level 2 ultrasound is often ordered when a provider identifies a concern or risk factor — but insurance coverage varies widely, and out-of-pocket costs of $400 to $600 place this imaging out of reach for many low-income mothers, even when their provider recommends it.
These values are not just words — they shape how we operate, how we partner with clinics, and how we treat every mother who comes to us for help.
Every mother who reaches out to us deserves to be treated with warmth and respect — never made to feel like a charity case. We design every interaction with dignity in mind.
We operate through Fidelity Charitable's Donor-Advised Fund infrastructure to ensure full accountability for how every donated dollar is used. Donors and the public can trust us completely.
We are a Kentucky foundation, rooted in Mount Sterling, and we believe in building from within — partnering with local clinics, serving local families, and growing outward from a place of genuine community investment.
This foundation was built from grief and love. Compassion is not a strategy for us — it is the reason we exist. It infuses everything from how we communicate to how we structure our grant process.
We've structured Colter's Watch to ensure proper nonprofit infrastructure and full transparency — so donors can give with complete confidence.
Colter's Watch operates through a formally established nonprofit infrastructure
Colter's Watch operates through a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) at Fidelity Charitable, one of the nation's largest and most respected public charities. This structure means that contributions to Colter's Watch are tax-deductible, held and managed under established nonprofit governance, and disbursed transparently according to the foundation's grant guidelines.
A Donor-Advised Fund gives Colter's Watch the operational benefits of a fully established nonprofit — including tax-exempt status, financial oversight, and institutional credibility — without requiring the administrative overhead of building those systems from the ground up. This allows us to direct more of every donated dollar toward the mothers we serve.
Every grant we fund, every partner payment we make, and every dollar we receive is handled through this infrastructure — giving donors, partners, and the families we serve full confidence in how we operate.
Whether you're a healthcare provider who wants to partner with us, or someone who simply wants to follow our journey and spread the word — there's a place for you in this mission.