Support for birth. Support for bereavement. Support for you.
Told by: Caroline
My son, Hale, was born on November 7, 1996. He weighed 2 1/4 lbs. We were in a rural hospital and he didn’t survive. He lived for one hour and died in my arms. I was diagnosed with an incompetent cervix. He was perfect and gorgeous. I think of him every day. It is 15 and a half years later now.
Review and Giveaway!
“A Letter From Heaven” is a children’s book, written by Steve Butler, who is a chaplain at Caldwell Hospice and Palliative Care, an Associate Chaplain through the Association of Professional Chaplains, an ordained minister in the United Church of Christ, as well as a stillbirthday mentor – but most importantly, Steve is Jamie and Alexandra’s grandfather.
“A Letter From Heaven” tells the story of a little boy named Jamie, who learns that his older sister, Alexandra, died on the day she was born.
In this precious, bittersweet tale, Jamie inquires about the ceramic jar that sits beautifully adorned with flowers around it, on a high shelf in their living room. When Jamie is ready to learn about his sister, his mother pulls a letter from behind the jar; a letter on pink stationary and addressed from Alexandra to Jamie, as if it was written by Alexandra herself.
The book brings us through this letter from an older sibling, in Heaven, to her younger brother, still here on earth. It brings us through the simple understanding that both siblings share the same family. It answers some of the most complex questions about death and Heaven in a gentle way that even young children can understand. Alexandra tells Jamie all about the day she was born, what she “remembers”, that she died, and that the most important part of her is in Heaven, and that she is “not small or weak or fragile” where she is.
In this letter, Alexandra assures Jamie that she is not jealous when he was born, and that she loves him very much – she is his big sister, no matter what.
Additionally, there are ideas that families can draw from in this book, as ways to help children understand about their siblings in Heaven, including planting special flowers and praying as a family.
Steve has shared this beautiful book with me, so that I can pass it along to you!
Share with us, how you have explained your miscarried or stillborn baby(ies) to your living children, or to your living nieces or nephews, or how you supported your adult children as they explained their loss to your surviving grandchildren. Has the time come that it has been appropriate to do so? How did you share about their sibling? If you haven’t yet shared with your other children, in what ways do you imagine you might?
Share your experiences or your ideas! One random person will be selected to receive an autographed copy of “A Letter From Heaven”! The winner will be announced here on August 1.
This giveaway is now closed.
The winner is Amanda H. Amanda, please email me at kcchristiandoula (at) yahoo.com to give me your mailing address.
The SBD® Doula provides support to families experiencing birth in any trimester and in any outcome.
Here at stillbirthday.info, you can learn about the SBD® Doula.