Once A Mother...
A man who's lost his wife is called widower.
A child without parents is called orphan.
But what of a woman whose only child has passed?
What am I to be called?

OUR STORY
I am dedicating this site to my baby boy, Henry. I am hoping that it will somehow help heal a part of my heart and soul, which I know will never fully recover, and possibly help any others that have gone through what my husband and I have. I would also like to dedicate this site to my husband, who will always be my love, friend and rock. I love you.

After already having been through a first trimester miscarriage, my husband and I thought that this pregnancy would be our chance to finally have our baby. Once the first trimester had passed, we were finally ready to announce to our families that we would be having a baby boy! We decided to make our announcement on Christmas day.

Since Henry's death in early 2008, not a day goes by that I don't think of him, or wonder how my life would be different. I believe that Henry died when my mom and I were in the theatre. They say that babies are often very active right before they die. I am so happy that his grandma got to feel him kick - we sat in the theatre giggling at how strong he was. But then, he was so very still. I am sad to say that it took me four days to realize that something was wrong. I know now, that I was in denial and shock. My doctor performed an ultrasound, and had the most horrible news that I think my ears will ever hear. Our son was dead. It's a blur after that. I only remember screaming into my husband's arms. After sixteen and a half hours of labor, our dear baby Henry was stillborn, February 10, 2008. He was so sweet and precious and looked just like his daddy. Henry was 23 weeks and 3 days, weighing 1 pound, 9 ounces, 13.5" long. Once Henry was stillborn, we could see that he passed away from a true knot and entanglement in his umbilical cord. Henry was baptized and blessed at the hospital by Reverend Mary Crance, Chaplain.

 

SOME FACTS ABOUT STILLBIRTH
About one in every 200 births is stillborn in the US - or approximately 25,000 a year. Stillbirths are considered a common natural occurrence, happening since the beginning of humankind. Unfortunately, there is no way to predict one, and they can affect anyone. One half of all stillbirths happen in overall good, healthy pregnancies. A large percentage (some sources report as many as 50%) of stillbirths are from unexplained or unknown causes, even in cases where extensive testing and an autopsy have been performed.

We have learned that there is less then a 1% chance of a baby dying from a true knot.

IF YOU HAVE EXPERIENCED A STILLBIRTH
And would like to email me, please email me at: infoatpaperlovesjewelrybox.com. Please note, I have left out the @ symbol to ward off unnecessary spam mail. Unfortunately due to spammers, you'll have to type the email address in, using the @ symbol in place of the 'at'.

WHY ST. JUDE?
Unfortunately, there has just not been extensive research on the causes of stillbirth - it has been a forgotten area of medical research, because it has been considered an act of nature. I have decided to choose St. Jude Hospital to donate to, because it has become a world renowned research facility in the area of pediatric cancers such as leukemia. Children from all across the U.S. as well as 60 foreign countries have been admitted to St. Jude without regard for the family's ability to pay.