My daughter Grace is two and a half, and she means the world to me. Even though she has only been here for a short while, it is difficult to remember life without her. She is our sunshine!
When she wakes up, she wants to joke around… gobble my nose… interrogate me about ‘drinking’ all the pizza… tell me I can’t buy coconuts… give me kisses… hide under the covers from the crocodiles… ask about having marshmallows for breakfast… suck her thumb and hold my ear while she snuggles me up.
Life without any of that really wouldn’t be life at all.
Even when she was an infant, the bond was so strong, it was like I had known her my entire life. I worried so much about SIDS in those early months and cherished every moment as she grew. I was fortunate and still have my little girl to hold in my arms. Other parents, however, are going through every parent’s worst nightmare, and my heart goes out to them.
I can’t imagine the devastation for parents who lose a precious child to SIDS or any other cause. That has to be one of the very deepest sorrows you can imagine. Life will never be the same for these parents.
On top of the emotional hardship of losing a baby, there often comes financial hardship. The cost of purchasing a tiny coffin, funeral services, burial or cremation ceremony, gravestone and other related costs on top of having just lost your baby is more than many families have prepared for.
The TEARS Foundation is a compassionate non-profit organization that helps families who have lost a baby by providing funds to assist with these costs as well as grief support groups and more. They are holding the very first New York Rock & Walk fundraiser this spring.
The Inaugural New York Rock & Walk will be held on Saturday, May 26, 2012 at the Crossings of Colonie from 10 am – 1 pm in support of those who have lost an infant in your community.
Similar to other walks, you can register individually or in a group, gain sponsors for your walk, etc. Here’s what’s unique: you can also “rock” to show your support. Rather than walking, you spend the event rocking in a rocking chair, which (as every parent knows) is often one of baby’s favorite things to do.
It’s a very unique event that has brought plenty of support in other cities. Now Rock & Walk comes to Colonie, NY, and we have a chance to make a difference in these local families’ lives.
