Delivering another box

3.5.14

     On Wednesday, Mallie had let me know there was another local mom who had would ultimately suffer a loss (her daughter had Trisomy 18 which is incompatible with life) that she was going to take pictures for and the mom had accepted Mallie's offer of a hope box. We planned that Mallie would go up and take the pictures in the NICU, and that I would come at the end of her session with the box, and then we'd go to dinner.
     I have to tell you I was really nervous. I had no idea what I was walking in to, or what I would say because I don't even know what I would have said to myself while I was still in the hospital. And this family's story was so different because they knew that their daughter wouldn't survive.
     I nervously walked into the hospital with the box under my arm, without my usual scrubs on so I wouldn't get in trouble for not checking in as a vendor. I went up to the L&D floor, and texted Mallie that I was there. Soon, she and the momma came from around the corner where they had visited the NICU.
     "She's such a fighter!" Mallie gushed (the girl seriously has a heart of gold). "She is hangin' in there, and she is GORGEOUS."
      The mom slowly walked down the hallway next to Mallie and gave me a sad smile. Mallie introduced the two of us, and told her how she knew me because of Kaitlyn. Her face dropped a little bit and she said, "I'm so sorry to hear of your loss."
       "I'm sorry for you, too." I said quietly. "I have this box for you, if you'd like it. Its just got some resources in there for you from Moms who have been where you are, and I wanted you to know that you're not alone and when you're ready there's a community that is here to love you."
        About that time, her husband met us back in the room and looked at me inquiringly. I introduced myself and gave him the box talk, but then I told him that we had lost our daughter in September. With that, he hugged me.
        "Thank you for coming," he said. "You give us hope. Here you are 6 months later making the best out of this awful situation."
        I was humbled and honored that he thought so much of me, and it reinforced to me that what I was doing was making a difference (because sometimes, let's be honest, I'm tired and I don't feel up to doing the ministry stuff). Here, again, God used me to help someone else.

And I'm so grateful.