More than a Number

My heart is troubled today as I contemplate just how prevalent it really is that babies, yes babies, die. In just the past couple of weeks, I have met or received word of more women than I can count on my fingers who need support. This can only mean that that many women have experienced loss. These losses have ranged from miscarriage to deaths of toddlers. Whatever the case, these children are gone from their mommies far too soon and it hurts beyond words.

What's even more startling is just how common it is to experience this kind of loss. In fact, statistics indicate that 1 in every 4 to 5 pregnancies ends in miscarriage. In the U.S., approximately 26,000 women experience stillbirth each year and approximately 30,000 to 50,000 newborns die each year. This year, in the U.S. alone, thousands upon thousands of women will walk this very road we find ourselves on. Just stop and think about those numbers. Now, think about those women who struggle to conceive and those who grieve babies they gave up for adoption. And what now of those women who have children die from SIDS and accidents at such a young age? The numbers multiply beyond comprehension. We can do the math and consider the statistics, but we know firsthand that our children were so much more than a number.

More than a number, indeed. Each number cited above represents a life, a child, a person. That child meant something to a some woman out there who is not so different from any of us. She had plans for her baby. She had hopes and dreams. She too was filled with excitement and joy of knowing she would have a little one to care for and to teach and to love. Then in an instant, all of those hopes and dreams came crashing down, and sadly that child ~ her precious baby ~ became a number. She may have received messages from the world to "move on" or "try again" like many of us may have experienced ourselves. She may have even pondered what it was that she did to cause something like this to happen, again no so different from some of us.

Think about your own situation...since your loss, have you found that you come to know of others who have experienced something similar. It amazes me to think about how we find others who have "been there." I absolutely loathe the fact that any one of us have "been there," but also count it as a blessing to be able to talk and share with women who understand. That's what Mommies with Hope is all about. Being present. Acknowledging. Understanding. Caring. Compassion. Comfort. Growth. And most importantly...Hope.

"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you..."
1 Peter 1:3-4

We exist to share with you the hope we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ. By His grace, He gathers each of these precious children in His arms. They are more than a number.

If you feel so inclined, I invite you to give the name(s) of your children below in the comments as a way of honoring, acknowledging, and remembering their sweet lives...lives that matter. If you did not name your baby, that's okay, tell us about your child anyway! Feel free to post anything else on your heart. I will kick things off...