Mending Hearts one Stitch at a Time
Holy Sews is so pleased to provide the video footage from our interview and news story with KATV Channel 7. Please watch and share!
Donations can be made through our website at www.holysews.org and click on Donate/Support. Please consider giving to Holy Sews during our 2018 April Showers’ event.
Click on the link below to watch the video!
Sunday, April 15, 2018 – Holy Sews’ interview with KATV Channel 7
Holy Sews was honored to share our mission and story with KATV Channel 7 last night (Sunday, April 15, 2018). Thank you to Nick Popham from KATV for coming to interview us at work day! You may read about our story at the link below and as soon as the video coverage is posted, we’ll make sure that it is linked to our website as well!
Click on the link below to read about our interview…
KATV & Holy Sews Story – Sunday, April 15!
Mark your calendars now for an amazing April Showers’ Reception at our Dallas/Fort Worth Holy Sews’ Chapter! The reception will be Saturday, April 28th from 2-4 pm. See the invitation below!
“My Paisley May…”
Excited doesn’t even begin to describe our initial reactions to being pregnant with our third child. We were so happy, elated and eager to see what life would bring to our family with this new addition. Everything was going great from my first appointment through our 20 week anatomy scan when we found out that our baby was a girl and was so active – I couldn’t feel her movements because I had an anterior placenta but I could see her sucking her thumb and kicking her little legs on the screen.
Our oldest son was so excited to have a sister – he had told us all along he wanted a sister this time, seeing as he has a younger brother already. In the coming weeks we celebrated Christmas – New Years and just had a good time – although I felt that something was off. I was still unable to feel Paisley moving.
I googled (I should not have googled) all the things that could go wrong with an anterior placenta – reasons why I couldn’t feel her movements – things to do to make her move. Nothing worked or eased the lingering feeling of something being wrong. I would lay on a hard tile floor for long periods of time and think I felt her move when in reality I hadn’t. Finally, my 24 week appointment came along on January 19th and I was so ready, I wanted to ease my anxious heart and hear that sweet heartbeat to make sure everything was still okay and I was just imagining things.
My boys and I went in for my appointment – my doctor had a hard time finding her heartbeat but thought she had finally tracked it down, but to double check she pulled in the portable ultrasound machine – there was no flicker – there was no sound – there was no movement. She could see my heart breaking and told me to go get a proper sonogram to be certain.
I was in tears and slowly falling apart at this moment but trying to hold it together because I had my sons with me and didn’t want to scare them. The boys and I waited what felt like an eternity to get my sonogram and there she was lifeless, not moving, heart not beating and measuring far smaller than she should have been.
She had passed away, our baby girl had died. My heart cracked into a million pieces!! I couldn’t hold it together any longer, I started bawling my boys all the time not understanding what has happened just yet but trying to console their momma. I still recall this moment like it was yesterday and it breaks my heart all over again. Having to go to the truck and call my husband and mom and let them know what had happened. I was hysterical and we live an hour and a half away from my doctors office so I sat in the parking lot crying, crying so hard I couldn’t breathe well. My oldest knew at this time what had happened to his baby sister and he was so upset as well. It was the hardest day of all our lives thus far. I pulled myself together and got my boys and I home safely. I was told to come back in on the 22nd to get blood work and see what we should do.
Going home knowing my baby girl was no longer living inside me hurt so badly, having to wait to deliver her and think about what I should have done, should I have gone in sooner – could they have done something for her, all those horrible thoughts we have when something has gone wrong in life. I initially hated the thought of going home with Paisley lifeless inside my womb but it turned out to be a blessing – there were community members who had lost babies that came and talked to me – we had a close friend make a beautiful blanket for Paisley – I contacted the labor and delivery nurses who put in me in touch with a bereavement counselor and she helped me so much and has continued to help me through this journey – and it gave us time to talk to the funeral home about Paisley’s arrangements. The thought of planning her burial while she was still inside me hurt- oh how it hurt.
My husband and I left our house while our boys were still sleeping that Monday morning – got to the doctors office, got the bloodwork done and waited. Finally, my doctor saw me again and told me to go home and have her, and we both said NO and I was admitted by 11am that morning. They induced me that morning and it crept at such a slow pace, going all that day – overnight and into the next morning when I had had enough and talked to a nurse who got another doctor to come up and place the foley bulb and gave me extra medicine to get things moving more aggressively.
At 3:30 pm on the 23rd of January the bulb had fallen out and labor officially began. Our sweet, tiny angel was born at 3:50 pm in her sac. She was so beautiful. We could tell what happened instantly – the cord was tightly constricted around her neck twice and her left arm once. My bereavement counselor, who just so happened to also delivery our sweet Paisley, described her best – as a teeny tiny ballerina fairy that just wanted to dance.
Summer took her to the nursery to bath, dress & photograph her. Soon she brought Paisley back to us and we held her – hugged her – kissed her – cried about her – admired her, so many emotions all at once. Our sweet baby girl was with the Lord now, she was beautiful, sweet, quiet, precious – so many words could be used to describe her but none do her justice.
We left the hospital that night and got home to our boys – our oldest was sad and confused and had so many questions and our youngest was oblivious to what had just happened. Honestly, I don’t know how mothers that experience this loss without other children are able to go home to cope – they have been my shining light through my darkest time and without them I don’t believe I would be in the place I am today on my grieving journey.
We had Paisley’s graveside services on January 27th at 11 am. Our oldest son picked a cute stuffy to give his baby sister and our youngest held onto me tightly all day. It was so hard to say goodbye again, but we know she is with our Lord and watching over her brothers, her father, and me, her mother, from heaven. Through this terrible loss, our family has drawn closer to God and that has calmed my soul.
“There are no footprints to small too leave an imprint on this world.”
Paisley’s Big Brothers
In terms of giving, you can give in many different ways! Check out the information below and think about incorporating a couple of ideas into your busy calendars and schedules!
HS Other Ways to giveApril Showers’ Materials’ List
Now, that we’ve shared how much it takes to make 4,800 layettes…please see our specific list of needs posted below. Thank you in advance!
HS April Showers Materials List
What we do at Holy Sews is no small operation…In 2017, Holy Sews provided 4,800 handmade layettes to hospitals and organizations all across the United States!
Holy Sews would like to show you HOW much MATERIAL it takes to make 4,800 micro-preemie layettes…hold on to your seats and remember this is just one year’s worth of supplies…
Check out the picture on the right: 1,500 yards of fabric? That means Holy Sews used fabric that would measure out to equal 15 football fields, and 3,900 yards of trim? That means Holy Sews used trim that would stretch across 39 football fields!
All fabric, trim, buttons, etc., have been either donated to Holy Sews or have been purchased because of generous monetary donations from individuals, families, and corporations! Every donation allows us to continue to provide handmade layettes at no cost to those in need.
At Holy Sews, April Showers is a month long event designated to give the opportunity for people to give back. Donations replenish Holy Sews’ sewing material inventory, allows us to purchase our packaging, and pay for all shipping costs required for us to continue to adequately fill and supply the demand of layettes.
Whether you can donate monetarily or donate actual materials, we would appreciate and utilize either one or both! Every bit helps Holy Sews provide these unique and handmade layettes to grieving families at no cost.
I knew from the moment I learned I was pregnant that something was wrong. Nothing indicated that something was wrong, but I just knew. I cried and begged my husband, Brent, not to announce it to our friends and family yet, because I was just sure that I was going to have a miscarriage. I had miscarried a few years earlier, so I just knew that something was going to go wrong with this pregnancy too.
Brent and I made it to 12 weeks and everything seemed to be progressing completely normal; however, we waited until I hit 16 weeks before we told family and friends. So, at 16 weeks the announcement was made and everyone was so excited. All of us were so happy and knew that in four short weeks we would find out if it was a boy or a girl.
Our next appointment was at 20 weeks and we couldn’t wait to find out the gender; however, during the exam, Brent and I were told that there was a massive issue with our baby. Due to the lack of amniotic fluid, we had to wait to find out the gender of our sweet one. After our blood work came back, we found out that our baby was a little boy, and we decided to name him, Samuel David.
The journey after our 20 week appointment turned into one big appointment after another trying to determine if there was anything we could do to save little Samuel. I immediately went into typical mom mode. I prayed, begged, and grieved with God; however, somehow I just knew. I went and sat through every high-risk appointment; however, somehow I just already knew. God gave me strength and I felt He gave me the task of guiding my family through this deep, dark valley full of tremendous grief.
I was told that I probably wouldn’t be able to carry Samuel for more than 27 weeks, but I was given the privilege to carry him close to my heart for 39 weeks and 5 days. God gave me extra time with Samuel and I was given the opportunity to get to know my child and carry him to full term. Sadly, I woke up on that Saturday morning and realized my cord had prolapsed. Brent rushed us to the hospital and once they confirmed that there was no heartbeat, I knew Samuel was safely in the arms of Jesus. During my delivery, we had so many complications including him being breach, that the doctors decided to go old school and knock me out. I woke up just in time to push his perfect sweet head out and to hold my darling baby.
I wrapped sweet Samuel in the blanket that my mother-in-law made for him. The blanket was made from old shirts from my husband and father-in-law. The peace of God was so obvious in the room that I knew it was all going to be ok. I slept the whole night with my child in my arms.
The next day the funeral home came to the hospital to get Samuel, and I could not hand him over. I had to ask everyone to leave the room and have Brent take Samuel from me. I watched Brent take Samuel out the door to them. Looking down at my empty arms, the realization that I would never be able to hold my child again on this earth sunk in, and I simply wept.
Our funeral home had the memorial service all set up for us to do a final blessing, like the one in the book, Little Women. It was the perfect way to say goodbye to our sweet boy. Even now, my heart continues to hurt every day, but God is teaching me ways to cope. He has blessed me with so many opportunities to see His’ glory throughout all of this. I do not believe we ever really heal from this, but I do believe we grow from this. It is through the hardest and darkest of times that we see where our faith lies in Him.
Brent, Kelley, & Samuel David – 4-9-16
Keep connected with Holy Sews! Go to www.facebook.com/holysews and “LIKE” our page! April Showers is a month of replenishment and spreading awareness about the mission of Holy Sews!
Holy Sews currently has 416 “Likes” on our Facebook page. One goal for April Showers is to hit 1000 LIKES within a 30 day timeframe! The more “likes”, the more we will be able to share the mission of Holy Sews!
Click on either picture for a direct link to Holy Sews’ Facebook page – www.facebook.com/holysews.
Spring has sprung! SAVE THE MONTH! Holy Sews presents our 2018 April Showers! For the entire month of April, Holy Sews will promote, educate, share, thank, ask, appeal, engage, and inspire those who see any of Holy Sews’ posts, in hopes to spark a call to action for you to connect with us.
Prayerfully, we want to educate and effectively communicate the immense need to provide (for free) micro-preemie layettes to hospitals, perinatal bereavement programs, funeral homes, organizations, and individuals all over the United States who are in desperate need to clothe the tiniest of babies who do not survive after delivery.
Holy Sews is just one organization, if not the only organization in the entire nation/world, that has answered the call to help fill the unique and special niche of providing complete handmade layettes for babies born between 16-25 weeks gestation. We are growing at an exponential rate! For example, in January of this year, Holy Sews now provides layettes to almost 400 hospitals in all 50 states! We are humbled and honored to be able to fulfill this unique service. Our massive growth spurt has challenged us to identify areas of need and develop strategic plans to help Holy Sews continue to provide layettes to our current partners along with all the new partners we anticipate gaining!
Please keep watch for daily updates, testimonials, educational information, volunteer, and giving opportunities! Holy Sews hopes April Showers will provide you an opportunity to give back, and to give back specifically for families who are in the deepest stages of grief. We will share specific ideas in the next few days; yet, we encourage you to be creative and to share your “shower” on social media and then share your “shower” success stories! You will inspire others!
#AprilShowers18 #Heequipsthecalled #respectlifebyhonoringitindeath #buriallayettes #holysews