Under His Wings

Today is the actual day set aside to bring awareness to child loss.  In honor of that our local hospital is holding a candlelight ceremony tonight.  The organizer asked that those coming would bring a poem or something else to share. That reminded me of the poem that I wrote after Gabrielle's death.  I sent it in to SHARE's newsletter. SHARE is a national pregnancy and infant loss group that helped me after my loss.  They are still going. Their website is www.nationalsharing.org  It was published in the November/December 2000 edition of the newsletter Sharing. I would like to share it here also. I'll See Her In Heaven Someday by Kimberley A. Cone Our precious daughter was expected to die I was shocked and saddened I had cry upon cry I don't know why it happened Why God took her away But I know I'll see her in heaven someday. I had some questions I was beginning to doubt I had to remember God was working it out I can't help wondering why God took ...

http://www.mytwintiers.com/news/local-news/candle-lighting-ceremony-to-remember-infant-loss   link to the news story I was featured in  I was scrolling down my Facebook page and chatting with my friend Tanya yesterday morning when a PM from my TV News Photographer friend John showed up on my screen.  John and I worked together at WETM TV 19 years ago.  I left after 9 months as an audio/chyron operator.  John still works there. Earlier in the morning, I had posted a Pregnancy and Infant Loss picture created by my friend Amy. It pictured a candle and said in loving memory of Gabrielle Renee.  John must have seen that and asked me if I'd be willing to meet with reporter Andrew Banas about our experience with losing Gabrielle.  My husband gave me the go ahead to do it. I met Andrew at the hospital where Gabrielle was born nearly 16 years ago.  He was also interviewing the Unit Nurse for the NICU.  Her name was Kimberlee (neat that we share a...

December 29, 1999 3:12 PM.....a highly anticipated moment met with mixed emotions.  For 5 months I was told that the baby I had just  given birth to was going to die.  It was very apparent when our Gabrielle Renee was born that sadly the doctors were right.  As a matter of fact, Gabrielle's neonatologist told us moments after she was born that it was one of the worst cases of Anencephaly he had ever seen.  He was near retirement age, so he had probably seen quite a few cases in his career. It was an honor for me to carry our sweet girl to full term.  Today I'm counting my blessings we had her for the 14 hours (plus the 9 months in my womb).   She could have been still born.  Her doctor only expected her to live an hour if that after her birth. Last night at church we sang Jesus Loves Me per Tim's request.  He had another song picked out for our hymn favorite night.  I hinted I wanted Jesus Loves Me.  The moment Tim sang it to Ga...

It's with a heavy heart that I write this entry.  I'm fired up, so if this is long please bear with me.  It was brought to my attention on Wednesday night that there was a TV show featuring Anencephaly, the condition my precious daughter and my nephew were diagnosed with and died from.  It was a post on one of my Facebook support groups that tipped me to the show and warned that the program (Harry's Law, NBC) was showing Anencephaly in a distorted and downright disrespectful light. I didn't catch the beginning of the show, but I did see the last 20 minutes or so.  For a little background information, Anencephaly is a "neural tube defect," which in simple terms means that the baby's brain and skull does not form.  Spina Bifida is when the other end of the neural tube does not develop. Gabrielle's neonatologist said her particular case was one of the worst he had seen.  He gave her an hour to live.  God blessed us with 14 hours with her. The jist...

December 29, 1999, will be a day I will never forget. It was the day I gave birth to my second child, Gabrielle Renee. It was a beautiful, but scary day. We had known since August that she had a fatal condition called Anencephaly. My dr. wanted me to end the pregnancy. He saw no need to carry the baby when she had no chance of surviving. Her brain and skull did not form. There was no surgery or procedures which could save her. Tim and I stressed to him that we felt we had no right to end her life. What if the doctors were wrong? What if God chose to heal her? As it turned out, God didn't chose to heal her, but He did give us 14 1/2 special hours with her. Her neonatalogist thought she may only life an hour. She surprised us all. She was able to be fed 3 times. She was alert, but quiet. The only time she made a sound is when the nurse was giving her a bath. We all laughed about that. My parents were there to share in the special time too. That meant the world to me! I got to thinkin...