Griffin James

first born child to Isaac & Katie of Puyallup, WA

After two years of dating, Katie and Isaac said their wedding vows on a gorgeous Maui beach without bridesmaids or groomsmen or even a congregation. They simply enjoyed the time alone together, and celebrated with a large reception when they arrived back home. Three and a half years later, after only one month of trying, they became pregnant with their first child, a son. Katie and Isaac looked forward to the time they would spend with their child. Katie was simply excited to dress him in cute baby clothes and see Isaac with him. Isaac looked forward to going for walks, snuggling, and playing sports with his son. They prepared their hearts and their home for their little boy.

Katie and Isaac decided on the name Griffin for their little boy because it was unique and they found that boy names were difficult to pick out. They painted his room yellow and purchased a little yellow duck and a bunny rabbit. Katie’s mom bought him a special blanket. They decorated his room with Peter Rabbit and beach accents, and couldn’t wait to bring Griffin home.

During Katie’s pregnancy, Griffin was diagnosed with Down Syndrome and although they were saddened by the news, they were still excited to meet their son. Saturday, one day after Katie’s due date had passed, she noticed that Griffin wasn’t moving as much as he normally did. Fearing that she was simply being paranoid, she waited until Monday before seeing her doctor. At the doctor’s office, they could only hear a faint heartbeat, so they sent her on to the hospital. At the hospital, it was determined by an ultrasound that the faint heartbeat was Katie’s and that Griffin was no longer alive. Katie asked the doctors to put her under anesthesia and perform a c-section so she wouldn’t have to experience the birth of her stillborn child. They refused, and now, Katie is glad she was able to experience Griffin’s birth. She soon realized that she couldn’t accept her son’s death until she saw him with her own eyes.

Just after Griffin emerged, the nurse commented that he had dark hair, just like his daddy. A flood of tears began pouring down Katie’s face at these words, as the realization of the situation sank in. “It was a cry I never felt before,” Katie remembers. “It was as if I was so numb I couldn't fully cry.” No lullaby chimed through the halls of the hospital, like it did when other babies were born, and this angered Katie. They bathed Griffin and held him for a couple of hours, saying their goodbyes. They were offered a Loss Kit, provided by A Small Victory with a disposable camera inside to take pictures of their baby. At first, Katie was taken back by the idea of taking pictures of her stillborn son, but now is grateful for the few memories she has.

Without the Loss Kit, Katie says that they would have nothing to remember Griffin by. It was filled with useful tools to not only help them keep what little memories they could of their son, but it also helped them through the grieving process. Though Katie and Isaac particularly loved the camera and the clay mould used to capture Griffin’s footprint, they found the entire Loss Kit useful in their time of intense grief and sadness. Each day that passes without Griffin, they are even more blessed by the few memories they were able to capture with the help of A Small Victory and the Loss Kit it provided.

 

written by Lindsay Maddox