August 19th, a Day of Hope, is a special day set aside by the amazing Carly Dudley to celebrate the babies that left us too soon, and by doing so, to help raise awareness and break down the horrible taboo that surrounds this awful loss.
I think of my babies every day. But today I'm especially thinking of all the other parents out there who are thinking of their babies. Each relationship, each loss, each struggle with grief, they are all very different. But the burden we bare is very much the same. I feel their pain. I feel their sadness. I feel their frustrations with a society that doesn't understand.
There are some amazing parents out there that have fought with their grief and done some amazing things to help fight back. They can't bring their babies back, no matter how hard they fight. But they bring comfort and support to other grieving parents.
Carly creates beautiful photos in memory of beautiful babies, as well as creating this special day.
She and Franchesca created a gorgeous card line, especially for situations like baby loss.
Kristin started a project, Doing Good In Her Name, that assists families with little ones in NICU.
Ella's Halo was also founded to help the little ones and their families during their stay in NICU.
Kristin started Faces of Loss, Faces of Hope, an online support community.
There are TONS of more amazing parents out there doing even more amazing things. These are just the first few I pulled up from my bloglist.
Today there is one parent in particular that I'd like to share with you. Her name is Kristine, over at Cora's Story.
Cora died unexpectedly at only 5 days old from an undetected heart problem. Since then, her mother has been fighting this awful journey through loss and grief. She has also been fighting for legislation that will give babies pulse oximetry testing before going home. It's a simple procedure that will make sure more parents get to take their babies home and keep them there. She's been nominated as a "Mom Changing the World" at Babble, and she's second in her category (4th overall). If she wins, $5000 goes toward helping Operation Healing Hearts save our babies.
Please take a few minutes to go vote for her. Help her give hope to more babies and their parents.
**As I mentioned above, the list was just a few that came up at the top of my blog subscription list. Please don't be offended if I left you out. Also, please remember that ALL parents are amazing parents doing amazing things, just by waking up and facing another day without their babies. I just chose to spotlight some of the work being done to bring more awareness and support to our unfortunate world of grief.**
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2 comments:
nika- i will remember your babies too (a day late, i realize).
a few years ago, i discovered someone i loved had had an abortion. whether or not you agree that abortion is fine or whatever... i was just knocked out by grief by the news. she didn't tell ANYONE except a few close friends. not a single family member knew, except me.
i was so shattered. i was so sad for this baby that no one would ever know to grieve for. i went down to the creek by our house and i piled up as many stones as i could find, trying to make some sort of memorial that might stand the test of time. i also got a big piece of wood from my dad and spent a day carving the word "BABY" with a heart at the end. i stained it and then i kept it in my closet. i had no idea if it was a boy or girl and i couldn't name it, so i just remember it as "Baby." Baby would be almost 5 today.
i know this isn't the same loss you were talking about, but it was the loss i grieved of a baby that didn't make it to birth. i guess Baby is in heaven with Brake and Lilly, right? with Jesus.
i wish i could have met all 3 of them though.
That's awesome. Hrm. Maybe I should word that better. It's not awesome what happened to the baby, but that you took time to grieve and do something to remember it. I think the loss of any baby is tragic, regardless of who or why or how. It's so unfair that many of them are not remembered.
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