OAK GROVE, Mo. — An Oak Grove couple who went through the emotional ordeal of losing a child during labor wants to help other grieving parents move forward.
They want to give back some of the kindness they received during a devastating time.
“I had no issues, everything was perfect, the growth, the heart-rate, everything was perfect,” said Jamie Anderson.
Everything about Jamie and Andy Anderson’s pregnancy was normal and healthy, until she went into labor in October of 2009.
“She put the monitors on, and she wasn’t able to find a heartbeat,” Jamie said.
The Andersons feared the worst.
“They told us, at that point, you know, he`s gone,” Jamie said, “You cannot process emotions or even thoughts, really, it`s so hard to process, and you feel like you`re the only one this has ever happened to.”
As the Andersons were processing what was going on and saying their goodbyes to baby Liam with family and friends, the staff at St. Mary’s in Blue Springs did something the Andersons will never forget.
“She was holding him, just like he was alive, cleaned him up, gave him a little bath, and I think that`s when they started doing the molds,” said Andy.
“The hands and feet are… we would be lost without those I`m pretty sure,” Jamie added.
“When I got all this I was just floored,” Andy said.
The hospital gave them a care package which included a lock of Liam’s hair, a bead bracelet, a card with his hand and foot prints, molds of his hands and feet, books, and his bonnet among other things.
“And I know there`s a lot of people who don`t have anything, and that breaks my heart for them,” Jamie said.
The Andersons say memories can fade, so they`re raising money to buy the supplies to put their own care packages together to comfort other grieving parents.
“We want to make sure the hospitals have the ability to do the molds of the hands and feet,” said Jamie, “We want to make where people have options, and they have things that they can touch.”
“I needed it, I wanted it, and I understand there are some people who don`t want it, and that`s fine, but at least if it`s made, they can put it up and maybe never look at it again, or that day comes where they need to go see it, they`ll have that,” added Andy.
The Andersons also have a 6-year-old son, Aiden.
They are delivering the first care package this weekend.
Click on this link for more information about the care packages.
