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My husband and I have prayed and waited for 13 years to have our first child. Getting pregnant on our own was not easy. We tried IVF (In-Vitro Fertilization) treatments Summer of 2012, Summer of 2013, and Summer of 2020. The pandemic did not stop us from trying to reach our dream of becoming parents. My husband and I are both teachers and were blessed with the time at home to complete treatments.
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I am very afraid of needles, but my faith overcame my fear. I took courage as my husband administered 4 injection shots every day for the egg stimulation phase. With only two eggs retrieved and fertilized, one embryo made it to Day 5 blastocyst. We were through the roof and to the moon with happiness when our fertility doctor called to say that we had done it. August 19th of 2020, we had our miracle baby! We were going to be parents! I was speechless and I cried with tears of joy the whole time. My husband took notes as our doctor gave him medication instructions and appointments that needed to be scheduled for the following days.
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Months of normal OB check-ups, blood work, and tests. In every ultrasound our baby girl’s growth was on-track and healthy with a strong heartbeat. Her due date was April 24, 2021. We started planning and setting up the Nursery room. We bought her tiny dresses, shoes, onesies and toys. We talked about our future plans like spending time as a family, her birthday celebrations, new Christmas traditions, family vacation trips, her education,18th birthday, and all the experiences to which all new parents look forward. Every night we spend time praying and doing family devotions. We were so excited because finally we got our miracle baby.
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Everything was going well until the morning of November 13th. My water broke and I had no idea because there were no symptoms- no pain, no cramping and no bleeding at all. We were shocked that this happened because we just had our routine check-up with our OB the day before and everything was good. Mommy and baby were both healthy. No signs of preterm labor, contractions or anything to be worried about. It all happened so fast and just like that we lost our baby girl at second trimester (supposed to be the safest stage in pregnancy). The nurse came with our baby girl wrapped on a tiny crochet blanket with a hat. I held her in my arms, my husband and I could not take our eyes bursting with tears off her. We were in awe of how beautiful and perfect she looks. Our first born, Anjela Faith, got her physical features from both of us. We were able to hold her in our arms for a little over 2 hours at the hospital. During this precious time we talked to her, we told her how much we love her, we sang, prayed and swaddled her. It was a lifetime moment that we tried to squeeze into that very short time. She was in her daddy’s arms when her heart stopped beating. From the moment that her heart stopped we felt part of our hearts left with her. Our world crumbled, our dreams crashed and our hearts were shattered into a million pieces.
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Our time with Anjela Faith sadly ended and the nurses came back to our room and took our baby for pathology. Tara and Anna (our nurses) from Shady Grove Hospital were so kind and genuinely caring to us. They gave us a box with Anjela’s blanket and hat. Coming home from the hospital we felt so empty. We miss our baby Anjela Faith so much. I miss having her in my womb, I miss holding her in my arms. It felt so different without her at home. I asked my husband to get the box from the hospital. When I opened it, I saw the crochet blanket and hat and I held it close to my heart as I cried. It felt like I was holding and embracing her again because her DNA was in those items. Our precious memories with her in the hospital were on that blanket and hat. It was this simple box that made me feel a little closer to my baby girl. I was able to find something tangible to hold on to when I miss my little baby. I am so thankful to Project Robby for providing this.
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After a couple of weeks I joined several support groups for grieving moms and parents who lost their baby from miscarriage or stillbirth. It brings healing to be connected to these wonderful people, we were able to share each other's stories, express our feelings without judgment. It is through the posts and conversations that I learned that not everyone got something tangible that they can hold on to. Many of these grieving moms would love to receive anything that will remind them of their precious child. I had this desire in my heart to reach out to these moms so I prayed to God what to do. Months of sleepless nights resulted on the idea of Anjela’s Box. I shared it with my husband and he agreed. We shared our vision to a couple of friends and they were very supportive.
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This is a ministry where we can be hands and feet to spread the love of Jesus. We can bring light and comfort especially to those who lost their precious little one. This is Anjela’s legacy and this is how we can make her memories alive. We are giving glory and honor to God through the life of our baby Anjela Faith.
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“Your life is not measured by how long you live
but how you live your life to make an impact in someone else’s life.”
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It is our prayer that you will have an open heart to support us as we touch so many lives today and in the future. May God’s favor and blessing be upon you and your family.
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Love,
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Anjela Faith's Mom & Dad
THE STORY OF ANJELA'S BOX
