My friend and her husband are mourning the loss of a child. His name was William. In the 12th week of the pregnancy,
doctors diagnosed William as having a serious genetic defect. They weren’t sure he would survive until
birth, and if he did, they didn’t expect him to be with us for long.
My friend described their time with William as a
journey. They had had a difficult time
conceiving, then the difficult diagnosis, and then, William was born more than
2 months premature. So, from his tiny
beginning, the odds were steeply against him.
He tried his best, and he put up a valiant effort, but in the end, the
game was just too tough. After 37 days,
William could last no longer. A pretty tough
journey.
They held a very nice memorial service for William this
afternoon. We all had tears in our eyes
as we watched a video they had compiled, from their time in the neonatal
intensive care unit. At the end of the service,
we all walked outside and released 37 balloons into the sky.
When next you see your children, give them a long hug, and
be thankful that our journeys have not been as tough as William’s.
-
Mark W. Laughlin
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Photo by Mark W. Laughlin
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