continue at MadCatThe days ahead were as joyful as any we’d experienced in our life together. We beamed when friends who knew of our struggle with secondary infertility congratulated us and we devoured all the fetal development materials we could find, eager to mark every last milestone in our baby’s nascent life.
Guest columnist Steve Karlen
Celebrating our first child’s birthday later that week, we couldn’t have been happier. Among the presents Peter opened was the Dr. Seuss movie, Horton Hears a Who. Reflecting on the film’s signature quote, “A person’s a person no matter how small,” it was clear that evening that our family of three had become a family of four.
A week later I remember foolishly telling Laura, “I’m sure we’ll be sad again someday, but right now I just can’t see how!”
It didn’t take long for that question to be answered. It was another sunny spring morning — just 16 days after the positive pregnancy test — when Laura realized something was wrong. Five agonizing hours later, our worst fears were confirmed; Laura was miscarrying.
MadCatHerald: Treat miscarried babies with the dignity they deserve
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2 comments:
I couldn't imagine sharing something as deep and cutting as the death of a child. Steve and Laura's courage to challenge the status quo with regards to giving their child a Christian burial hopefully will give others the strength to do the same. I have a sister who died in the same way. She was no bigger than your palm, but perfectly formed in every way. Back in the 1960's, pre-natal development was not as advanced as it is now, so when the doctors asked my parents if they could send my sister up to Madison to be 'examined,' my parents agreed, thinking they were helping to advance medical science. If they only had known. We would have much rather visited her grave site than wonder what they did with her in medical lab. Over 25% of all pregnancies miscarry. That represents millions of families that are affected by this loss. The saddest part of it is, many of them end up in landfills, a formaldehyde jar, or disposed of as medical waste. Our brothers, sisters, sons or daughters deserve better. They deserve the same dignities as any other human being, because that's what they are.
Well put Dan.
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