Articles : Announcements

Forever in our Hearts

GUEST BOOK sign-in

Arrayah Zoe Ilene (5/8/07 - 5/9/07)

Though she was with us just a few hours, she will forever be in our hearts. Proud and grieving parents are ACOT's own Stephen (the tech guy) and his wife Kaley.

-Born at 5:23p by C-Section on May 8, 2007.

-Died at 1:07p in "Maggie's Room" on May 9, 2007.

Our daughter lived and died at 4 lbs and 7 oz. She never grew beyond 16 inches, but lived every moment of her life to the fullest.

My heart and Stephen's is breaking right now. This is and probably always will remain to be one of the most difficult moments of our lives. I do not know where to go from here or what we will feel in the future. But I know that we will rely on God's strength and love, and those of you who we love.

Arrayah will always be my baby girl. My first and my most loved little girl. Nothing can replace your child. Stephen and I are just so thankful for the twenty hours she was alive. We are thankful for the five hours we spent with her. Holding, touching, and loving her.

Most of you are not aware that my entire pregnancy was very hard. The doctors are pretty sure that she had trisomy 13 or 18. In other words, Patau's or Edward's Syndrome. The fact that she was born is a miracle upon itself, let alone that she lived almost a full day. I will never forget that miracle.

During the first sixteen weeks of my pregnancy I was very sick. The day after that subsided I almost lost my little girl. The placenta had tried to deteriorate and I saw the bleeding. I prayed that Arrayah would not die but that God would let her be born and live.

God did exactly that. Most trisomy babies would have died at that point because the placenta has problems as well. Arrayah's syndrome caused my preeclampsia. But I wouldn't change what I prayed for and lived through ever.

Every painful part of my pregnancy and watching her die was worth every wonderful moment I felt her kick inside of me. Every moment we held her and loved on her. I got the best piece of the cake, I had her to myself for over eight months.

I wish I could have shared her with all of you.

She was beautiful in so many ways. Inside and out. Arrayah would have been the best daughter, friend, mother, sister, niece, aunt, and grandmother in the world.

And she will always be in our hearts.

Thank you so much for all your prayers,

They made holding my daughter possible.

Love,

Kaley

Memorial Fund ...so many of you have asked 

We have set up an Arrayah Memorial Fund to help offset some of the medical and other expenses her family will incur. 

To contribute using PayPal,  use this email address: 
     ACOTmemorial@gmail.com

Cards and checks may be sent to: 
     Stephen & Kaley • A Cherry On Top • 1740 Midland Road • Saginaw, MI  48638. 
Make checks payable to A Cherry on Top, put MEMORIAL FUND in memo area of your check.

Little Snowdrop

The world may never notice 
If a Snowdrop doesn't bloom, 
Or even pause to wonder 
If the petals fall too soon. 

But every life that ever forms, 
Or ever comes to be, 
Touches the world in some small way 
For all eternity. 

The little one we long for 
Was swiftly here and gone. 
But the love that was then planted 
Is a light that still shines on.
 
And though our arms are empty, 
Our hearts know what to do. 
Every beating of our hearts 
Says that we love you. 

- Author Unknown - 

Published on 04/25/2007.