Sad day

A day no mother should ever have to go through. I got a call today from a friend at church. It was obvious she was crying, when I asked what was wrong, she told me that our friend's baby had died! I asked her what I could do and she asked me if I could go to the hospital to be with the Mom and Dad. The baby had just been declared dead. My friend D had stopped by A's house after our homeschool testing. She wanted to see the babies, twin 7 mos old boys and a 4 month old girl (adopted dom. at birth). The littlest one, baby A., was in bed sleeping. When D went up to peek in on her, she found her blue and not breathing. D and A both tried CPR and called the ambulance, the ambulance transported her, they intubated her and tried everything they could on the way. The hospital continued to try, but baby A. was already sitting on Jesus' lap and could not come back to her earthly family.

When I got to the hospital, Mommy and Daddy were in the room, and Mommy was rocking baby A. We wept together and then she asked me if I wanted to hold A. for a while. Of course I did. It's so unbelievable how she just looked like she was sleeping, so peaceful and beautiful, wrapped in a blanket, but oh so cold and still. It almost felt like if I held her close enough and warmed her up, that she would start breathing again. Crazy, I know, but that was the feeling I had, even though as a nurse, I knew that wasn't going to happen. A. told the staff, and the others from our church who were present, that I had been the first person, other than family, to hold baby A. when they brought her home. I had forgotten that, how bitter sweet.

When A. and T. first found out that baby A's bio. mom was pregnant and wanted an abortion, they prayed about it, and told her that they would adopt the baby. A. had called me and asked me what I thought about it, if I thought that she could handle it, since she had 4 children under 3, two of which were newborn twins. I told her that if she and her husband felt that God had put it on their hearts to adopt baby A., that they should obey God's call, if that was what God was telling them to do. I said that adoption isn't easy, just like parenting a biological child isn't easy, but if we seek God and His will for our lives, He will be faithful to help us. I put them in touch with their attorney (the man we used for our adoptions) and helped them with their paperwork and homestudy prep. It truly was an honor to help another family in the adoption process.

We celebrated their joy with them in adding a new baby to their family, I just didn't expect to be called upon to help them with the loss of their "healthy" baby. All we can count on is that baby A. is with God in Heaven and that we will see her again. A. just called me, at 11:30 pm, she knew I'd be up, she couldn't sleep. She shared with me that she just wants her baby to come home. What do you say to a mother who has a broken heart? There really isn't much to say or do, so I just listened to her cry and talk about the beautiful little girl that she will never see grow up.

I beg anyone that may read this, PLEASE hold this family up in prayer, not only for the next few days, but for the weeks, months and years that are to follow. This will not be something that they can "get over" any time soon. That's what A. kept saying tonight, "I just want to get over it", I told her to call on God and to ask Him to wrap His loving arms around her and give her the comfort that only He can give. How I wish my words, actions or tears could do something that would help them heal quicker/easier, but I know that isn't the case, so I ask you all, to please ask God to comfort them and to feel His love for them through the words and actions of those around them. We are a small church family, but we love one another dearly, and I know that there will be much support for our dear friends as they go through this painful time in their lives.

Asking for prayer...