Emily Key
sailsupport@comcast.net

 I have been a registered nurse for fourteen years and currently work as the Bereavement Coordinator and as a staff nurse on a labor & delivery unit. My job includes not only celebrating new life, but also caring for grieving families who will not be taking their baby/babies home from the hospital.  Counseling grieving parents during and after a delivery such as this has shown me that the grief associated with the loss of a baby is absolutely devastating. But what made me truly understand how precious life is, was my own journey through infertility. 

 My husband and I were just a few months shy of our tenth wedding anniversary when we adopted our son. Prior to that, we were faced with the very real possibility of living a childless life. All of our attempts at conception, including in vitro fertilization, failed. The years we were longing for a child were the most difficult of my life, partly because I didn't feel like anyone understood what I was going through. SAIL was formed to bring people together who understand how difficult these circumstances can be.  My husband and I are the proud parents of two adopted children.   Adoption is a wonderful experience and was a perfect way for us to build our family. The best advice I could give someone who is longing for a child is this: A negative pregnancy test does not mean you can't be a mother -- infertility doesn't have to be the end, it can be the beginning of a beautiful, amazing story.

Melissa Williamson
sailsupport@comcast.net

 The loss of a child is one of the most traumatic events  a person could ever experience.  It leaves you feeling empty and isolated. While the pain never completely goes away, healing of the heart, mind, and soul can begin to take place when you realize that you are not alone.  Being able to share your feelings and emotions with another grieving parent is one of the goals of SAIL.

Before I become a mother to the two precious children I have now, I first become a grieving parent.  Following six years of infertility treatments, surgeries, etc., my husband and I became pregnant with triplets during our first cycle of in-vitro fertilization. After years of disappointment, we were thrilled at the idea of having an entire family all at once. However, on August 15, 2002, at 22 weeks, 5 days, my pregnancy ended with the loss of all three precious babies. We were devastated.  Three years later, our hearts were again broken when we suffered a twin miscarriage.

Following each of our losses, we felt very much alone in our grief.  This was partly due to the fact that there was no local support group in place to handle the emotions that accompany the loss of a baby.  Today, that is no longer the case.  SAIL now provides grieving mothers and fathers in our area a way to support one another in the healing process. Once healing begins, we can start looking forward to the future.

Heritage United Methodist Church

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