Dylan's Light
Donation protected
The worst 4 words any expecting parents can hear is 'There is no heartbeat'. I heard these 4 words on January 29th 2018. My husband and I found out we were expecting our second child due March 30th. Like other parents we were beyond excited to add a fourth to our family and make our daughter a big sister. The pregnancy went ok and I was being monitored regularly due to complications with our first child. I had an ultrasound and regular appointment the Friday before and everything was looking great. On the afternoon of January 29th at 32 weeks pregnant, I was at work and passed out. I was rushed to the hospital where I found out that my baby boy was no longer with us. Following an ultrasound to confirm, I was immediately rushed to deliver him as my life was in danger. I lost my sweet boy as a result of a placental abruption, had to deliver him by an emergency c section, and had to have 6 blood transfusions.
I worked out of town so I was at another hospital and had no personal belongings nor could I get the courage to call anyone, with the exception of my husband. I felt so alone, devastated, guilty, heartbroken, and soo lost. How could something like this happen to someone? Once you get past 12 weeks, you're in the safe zone right? 1 in 4 women will experience pregnancy and infant loss. I am 1 in 4. To be honest with you all, I have also had 2 miscarriages in addition to having a stillborn baby. Pregnant 4 times and 1 surviving child.
The reason for this group is to bring light from Dylan and help other grieving parents when their world is torn apart, like ours was. While it may not seem helpful at that moment, its the little things I am grateful for that I got from Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
One thing they did not and do not have is a CuddleCot. We had to spend 3 days at the hospital after having Dylan and got to see him sporadically. I was recovering and because he had passed, the deterioration process happens quite quick. Every time we saw him, his skin would be different and his lips getting darker. It was soo heartbreaking! A CuddleCot would have allowed Dylan to stay with us and help slow down the deterioration process as it's a cooling system. It would have helped us a bit more having more time with him.
Having a baby to say hello to and goodbye to and to leave the hospital without is something I wish no one ever has to experience. This is obviously not the case, so I want to raise the money for a CuddleCot to hopefully bring a little light to those grieving parents at OSMH. I wish we would have had one. RVH has one that was donated by another loss mom in honour of her daughter and Collingwood Hospital just got one from a loss mom who lost her son this past September. We are working alongside Katelyne, Lincoln's mom, to help get OSMH one as fast as possible, aiming to have it by Charlee's Run this April.
I worked out of town so I was at another hospital and had no personal belongings nor could I get the courage to call anyone, with the exception of my husband. I felt so alone, devastated, guilty, heartbroken, and soo lost. How could something like this happen to someone? Once you get past 12 weeks, you're in the safe zone right? 1 in 4 women will experience pregnancy and infant loss. I am 1 in 4. To be honest with you all, I have also had 2 miscarriages in addition to having a stillborn baby. Pregnant 4 times and 1 surviving child.
The reason for this group is to bring light from Dylan and help other grieving parents when their world is torn apart, like ours was. While it may not seem helpful at that moment, its the little things I am grateful for that I got from Orillia Soldiers Memorial Hospital.
One thing they did not and do not have is a CuddleCot. We had to spend 3 days at the hospital after having Dylan and got to see him sporadically. I was recovering and because he had passed, the deterioration process happens quite quick. Every time we saw him, his skin would be different and his lips getting darker. It was soo heartbreaking! A CuddleCot would have allowed Dylan to stay with us and help slow down the deterioration process as it's a cooling system. It would have helped us a bit more having more time with him.
Having a baby to say hello to and goodbye to and to leave the hospital without is something I wish no one ever has to experience. This is obviously not the case, so I want to raise the money for a CuddleCot to hopefully bring a little light to those grieving parents at OSMH. I wish we would have had one. RVH has one that was donated by another loss mom in honour of her daughter and Collingwood Hospital just got one from a loss mom who lost her son this past September. We are working alongside Katelyne, Lincoln's mom, to help get OSMH one as fast as possible, aiming to have it by Charlee's Run this April.
Organizer
Aimee Stephens
Organizer
Barrie, ON
