hanging by a heart string
G
Grief is a funny thing, you can be overwhelmed with joy thinking of a memory of your loved one and then in the next second be blinded by the tears that won’t stop flowing. It's a constant tug of war over your heart, emotions, and quite honestly, your physical well-being. For over fifteen years, my soul has been in the back and forth battle within. If you saw me from a distance or scrolled through my social media account, you may not even know how my first son was here for only 52 days. At first glance, I have my life together. At first glance our family may appear perfect. But “at first glance” doesn’t show you the whole story, or all the broken pieces within. In the summer of 2004, my husband and I began a romance right out of the story books. We fell hard and fast, marrying just eight months after dating. After moving sixteen hours from our hometown, to begin our life together we found ourselves pregnant just a few months after marriage. Naturally, we were both terrified and thrilled to welcome to the world our first son. Everything was normal about our pregnancy and delivery, until it wasn’t.
by candice deleeuw
36
connexions
As we were settling into the idea of being parents, laughing and sleepily in the “honeymoon” phase of a new baby, we were bombarded with staff and the discovery that something had gone horribly wrong. Just 18 hours after birth, our baby was taking his first flight to Duke University Medical Center in North Carolina. As parents, we were left in shock and anxiety over what exactly was happening to our “perfect” son. It was as if the storm headed our way was too powerful to avoid.