February is Jayden's birthday month.
In the days after I delivered Jayden last year I began to think about how we would celebrate his birthday every year. I love birthdays and I knew I would want to do something special to celebrate the day.
My first thought was to make a cake on his birthday and have a special dinner for just Andrew and me. And maybe we'll still do that.
I read stories of how other people have honored their precious babies.
Some people release balloons. Others go to their local bakery and pay for a birthday cake for another family.
While I liked those ideas neither of them felt right.
I prayed occasionally about how we should celebrate but honestly I really forgot about it.
Until December.
On December 21, I received a text message from someone I have never met.
Through this blog a chaplain at Washington Regional Medical Center, where we ended up in the ER and learned that we had lost Jayden, read our story. Her name is Bekah and she went to school with Andrew and his siblings. God placed it on her heart to improve the care that women receive while they are walking through the darkness of a miscarriage. Bekah wrote a grant for funding to help in this area.
Because of this grant when a woman comes into their ER and learns she is miscarrying she is now sent home with a kit. The kit includes gloves, a toilet hat, specimen cup (in case she wants to bring her baby back in for further testing), a casket, a list of funeral homes, and materials on grief as well as what is available in the area for help with grief. She will also receive a small crochet item with a note that says forever loved and never forgotten.
I cry as I share this because I am just so humbled and grateful that God would use our loss to help other women in this way.
I have shared our journey for the past seven plus years in hopes that God's faithfulness would shine and that I might somehow be of help to others who are walking a similar path.
God is using our darkest days to bring light to others.
I'm just in awe of His love.
When Bekah shared with me about this grant and how they were trying to do a better job of ministering to women who come into their ER experiencing one of the greatest losses of their lives, I instantly knew how I wanted to celebrate Jayden's birthday this year.
What better way to honor Jayden than by helping others.
I shared with Andrew my desire to help with this ministry and he immediately agreed.
God gave me the perfect way to celebrate Jayden.
A little over two years ago God spoke to my heart through a devotion I read (You can read it here). He encouraged me that His timing was perfect and He has a special purpose for THIS child that we were praying for.
Since losing Jayden, there have been many times when I questioned God's purpose in giving us a baby only to take that baby away so soon.
God answered my questioning.
If we hadn't ended up in the ER losing Jayden then this ministry might not have come to be.
God is using our Jayden's life.
There is purpose.
Bekah put me in contact with a development officer at the hospital who has helped me set up a way to give a gift in honor of Jayden.
Andrew and I will be giving a gift on February 13, Jayden's birthday.
We don't want anyone to feel pressured to give but I am sharing the information on how to give with you because we have had some family members express a desire to give Jayden a birthday present in this way.
If you would like to give a monetary gift (one kit costs $22) that will go towards the ministry of helping women suffering a miscarriage you can give online here. Under designation, please choose Patient Assistance Fund. Toward the bottom of the page mark the box that indicates that it is a gift in honor of someone. This will bring up a new box where you can enter Jayden's full name.
Jayden Ball Weaver
