On October 20th, my son would be turning six years-old. This year, I would have joined the throng of new Kindergarten moms saying farewell to their child, who would be wearing an over-sized backpack and perhaps a nervous smile on his face. Maybe he would need me to hold his hand all the way to his new classroom, or maybe he’d shake me off with a confident grin, only looking over his shoulder to shout, “I love you!” before scurrying inside. I don’t know. All I can do is imagine, wondering how his personality would compare to his younger siblings, and how our family dynamic might differ if my first-born were still here with me.
Ty Edward Kiefer, the first beautiful child in my life to make me a mother, passed away unexpectedly from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) when he was four months-old. Another written paragraph or two could never capture the horror and heartache that began the morning I found him in his crib, nor could it begin to describe the journey of hope and healing that would follow. I wrote Borrowed Angel in effort to share the experience, with a goal to offer comfort and hope to other mothers who have experienced loss.
This giveaway is in honor of Infant Loss Awareness. I hope my book and the Willow Tree carving of a mother and her baby (entitled Angel of Mine), will find their way into the hands of one who might need comfort.
I’m entering this for my daughter Holli Stewart who son died of sudden infant death syndrome at seven months of age. Very devastating for all of us who had bonded to that small sweet spirit that filled our homes with so much love. As hard as it was on me and as much as i miss my sweet grandson, i can’t even imagine the pain my daughter went through. I’ve tried to imagine but the pain is too severe to imagine. When one goes through the pain in reality, I believe angels are helping them through that event so when I try to imagine it is without the assistance of deity and it just seems impossible to bare. Therefor, my empathy falls short of knowing what she or anyone in that situation feels. Thank you, Erica, for sharing this profound experience.