This movie was brought to my attention recently:
http://www.returntozerothemovie.com
I’m looking forward to hearing more about it. Maybe it will spark more open discussion that is needed to help families heal.
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Category Archives: Stories of Loss & Healing
Angel Whispers Video
A video introduction to a wonderful organization called Angel Whispers: http://vimeo.com/44014277
Adoption Ceremony
This evening, I read an article called “Because I Love You“. In it, the therapist describes the pain that parents feel when giving up their baby for adoption. She also talks about an “adoption ceremony” which is a beautiful event involving both the birth parents, adoptive parents and their families.
This particular ceremony takes place in a Church setting where the Pastor offers his blessings. The community is given the opportunity to support the families and the new bond that is shared because of the mutual love that they all have for this child. What a powerful way to embrace these families and share the love that God has for all of us, His adopted children.
Perhaps more birth parents would think about choosing life for their babies if they are loved and supported themselves after the difficult decision to give up their little ones for adoption…
The Depth of a Mother’s Love
I read this article today of a young mother who, after losing two babies, finally became pregnant with her third child. She was diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy and refused treatment until after her son was born…a bittersweet ending to this story is published here.
God bless her loving heart.
Thankfully…Times have Changed
There are two articles that two friends of mine shared with me yesterday, and I thought it was fitting to post them here. The first article talks about how a father and mother were denied the chance to meet, touch and say goodbye to their baby as he was sent away for medical treatment shortly after birth. Decisions were made about their son, without their input and before they could meet their newborn, the machine was “turned off”.
I’ve heard countless stories of women in past generations who delivered stillborn babies, and their children were taken away shortly after birth. Some were not even told if they had a baby boy or girl. Here is a blog post that describes how a stillborn sister – “Kay” never knew existed – came to her in a dream…
At the time, the general thought was to whisk the child away – quickly. The less it was talked about, the better it was for the parents; it was best if the “situation” was forgotten, having memories of their baby would just make it worse in the long run. Research now supports the notion that grieving does need to take place and that parents should be given the opportunity to be with their child. Dr. Joanne Cacciatore is the founder of MISS Foundation a leading researcher in the area of infant bereavement.
Thankfully, times have changed and there is recognition that it is essential for us to bond with our babies, even if they have already passed on. It is important for healthy grieving and healing for parents to be able to be with their children before having to say “goodbye”. Please take a look at some suggestions for what can be done shortly after the death of a baby in a previous post.
In the second article, baby Avery is still alive, but only has a short time to live. Her parents have made a beautiful decision to give her the opportunity to live her life to the fullest first. It is hard to fathom a baby less than a year old, having a “bucket list”:
Memoir of a Mom After the Loss of her Stillborn Daughter
This is a raw and honest account of what it is like to struggle after your child is stillborn, Losing Iris: the quiet despair of a child stillborn featured in The Guardian. I myself can related to a lot of what Sarah describes, perhaps you can too…
November is Adoption Awareness Month
In honour of adoption awareness month, check out these interviews part I and part II for the “Pulse” series at Northview Church…they are inspirational!
For more information on adoption: adoptionincanada.ca and Hope Adoption Services.
A Babylost Mom and Cancer Survivor Chooses Life
This is a touching and inspirational story featured on the X Factor Australia 2011 via YouTube. Pamela Cook Auditions by singing Kelly Clarkson – Because of You and shares her courageous story. Enjoy!
Owen’s Story – Infant Loss & Hope Amidst Heartache
I’ve known Owen’s mom for a couple of years now and we met because someone we both knew thought it could be a potentially healing experience for us to share our stories with one another. I feel blessed to have people in my life who are willing to journey with me and who understand that our children are a gift from God to be loved and cherished, even after they have gone to heaven.
There are many kinds of infant losses which are unexpected and sudden such as ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage and SIDS for example. But what if you were told by a medical expert that the miracle baby growing inside of you would surely die?
“I listened as a stranger told us that our baby would soon die. Listened as a stranger told us that we would have, at most, a few minutes or hours to hold our baby alive. But that far more likely, we would lose our child long before birth. That our beloved son was likely never to grow, and not to survive the length of my pregnancy. That we could lose our precious baby any day”. (Owen’s mom)
When I first read the story of this little boy’s short life, I was moved to tears and knew that it deserved to be shared. I will let this babylost mom tell you in her own words about how her and her husband loved their son letting God decide when it was time for him to go. Owen’s life matters and has meaning and his story begins like this…
My life is not what I ever imagined it would be. It is true that there has been far more pain than I ever could have fathomed. But that pain, though always present, rests now in the shadow of something far greater. That pain now resides in a quiet place, surrounded by blessing and beauty far beyond anything I’ve ever dreamed of. My life has been transformed completely – not into the life I once hoped for, but into one so much fuller and richer and deeper. And that gift of transformation and beauty has been given to me and to my little family by just one tiny person. Our precious newborn son Owen. God’s perfect, transforming gift.
To read Owen’s full story, please click here.
Prayers for Maeve
This post on Carly Marie’s blog is truly inspiring. Our thoughts and prayers are with Maeve and her twin daughters Aibhlinn and Caoimhe.
Carly Marie shares Maeve’s story on her blog and writes:
The memorial service for Aibhlinn and Caoimhe will be held this Saturday July 16th, 42 years and 3 months after they passed away. If you have a moment on Saturday, please send out some love and a prayer for Maeve.
It is never too late to name your babies.
It is never too late to hold a memorial service for them.
To all those who may be reading, who never named your babies or held a memorial service for them, we hope this story inspires you and helps you on your road to healing.
Thank you Carly for posting this and for encouraging moms and dads around the world with your beautiful words and projects.