Nicole & Brian LaFleuR
On July 6, 2019, our beautiful son Charles Leonard LaFleur was born still at 35 weeks gestation. In the most devastating moments of our lives we were blessed with a few things made possible by Metro Detroit Share.
The first was the incredible gift of time spent with our son’s earthly body. We were able to use the Caring Cradle donated by Metro Detroit Share which allowed us to take our time to make memories and keep Charlie with us during the entire hospital stay. We know how fortunate we were to use this device- we know way too many families that did not have this option. Metro Detroit Share is continuing to provide Caring Cradles to Michigan hospitals with the goal to have one at every labor and delivery unit. Another impact of Metro Detroit Share was the donation of a memory box that we received at the hospital. Leaving the hospital with a box instead of a baby is one of the hardest things to do but we are very grateful for it. Inside were several memory-making ideas, including a bag for a lock of hair, a loss specific baby book, journals, and lots of resources for grief. The organization provides local hospitals with hundreds of boxes each year. The monthly support group hosted by Metro Detroit Share has also become a lifeline for us. We attended our first meeting less than 2 weeks after Charlie’s birth and haven’t missed a meeting yet- connecting with other families makes this loss less isolating. We are lucky to have this group so close to home and I imagine we would be in a much different place mentally without it. Metro Detroit Share also organizes the Walk for Remembrance and Hope that we participated in on October 6. Being able to fundraise and just do something for our son was very important to us. This organization does so much for so many families suffering the hardest loss imaginable- the death of a baby. We love Metro Detroit Share! |