tiny footprints

The Tiniest Footprints

Tonight I went thru probably one of the hardest things I've ever been part of..I waited on my nephew to be born knowing he was only going to pass away soon after.

� My sister in law Lori was 22 weeks pregnant and�on Friday her water broke. She has been in the hospital all weekend. Both she and the baby were doing fine, but her amnio fluid was not rebuilding itself. I don't understand all the medical stuff that was involved in all this. All I got out of it was the baby's lungs weren't� going to develop without this fluid. There were many risks for birth defects etc. I can't even begin to explain all the things I was told..but none of it was hopeful or good. So my brother and Lori made the decision to have�labor induced and deliver the baby. She was transferred to another hospital and she waited seven hours before being induced. When the doctor got there it was all over in about an hour. Five months of pregnancy over in an hour..a lifetime of heartache began in an hour. As her contractions got worse she asked for pain meds. I left the room at this time. I felt I shouldn't be there. So I went to the waiting room,..and waited. A little while later the door opened and my brother walked in. He just sat down and didn't speak. He had a dazed look in his eyes. He looked at me and said, " He looked just like me..and I held him until he died." I squeezed my eyes shut and let the hot tears of anguish flow freely. As I sat there I heard him say," He made it 12 minutes..he cried the whole time..and he tried so hard to breathe." By this time he too is crying. We went back to the room with him to see Lori. She was knocked out by then thankfully. She was having bad cramps. The baby was gone from the room. We didn't stay long..just a few minutes. As we were leaving the nurse brought him a piece of paper. As she handed it to him I saw it. It had the tiniest set of footprints I've ever seen. ��

�What a cruel world we live in. With all the technology today why would you put someone thru what my sister in law had to go thru? She had to deliver this baby knowing it wasn't going to live. She had to lay there and listen to other babies being born. All these "�IT'S A BOY!!!! IT'S A GIRL !!" signs on these doors. And all she had was a card with a �purple leaf with a raindrop on it!! She will have to pass by the newborn nursery tomorrow. Those babies will go home in a car seat and her baby is going to a funeral home to be cremated. How can life be so cruel? Why..just why?? Please forgive me if I sound bitter..but damn..I AM bitter and I'm hurting. I can't imagine what my brother and Lori are going thru. stupid world...stupid stupid world�