A Bear for Ethan

A few days ago I received an email from a mother whose baby daughter Gemma was born with Trisomy 13 in 2005. She blessed her family with 52 minutes of life. To honor her, her mother started Gemma's Bears, which are blankets offered to families whose babies have been diagnosed with Trisomy 13 or Trisomy 18. She extended an offer to me to send one for Ethan. I gratefully accepted and today it came in the mail. Here's a picure of what they look like:



I sobbed as I opened it, both because it was such a beautiful, generous gift, and because it represents a child that I may never get to raise. That's really hard to swallow. But at the same time this gift also represents hope for me. Hope that maybe, just maybe, God's will is for Ethan to come home with us to stay. Yet again, I can't say enough to express my gratitude to the people who have reached out to me during this experience. If you'd like to visit the website for Gemma's Bears, here's the link:
http://www.hopefortrisomy13and18.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=31

There's a link on the site where you can sponsor a bear for another family, or donate a desired amount. That's how they are able to send the free bears to families. I'm thinking I will sponsor a bear, as a way of paying forward the kindness that has been bestowed upon me. That way another mother can hopefully find a little bit of comfort during a time of grief.

Love,
Ashley