My heart breaks for parents who are devastated by a stillbirth. It's impossible to relate unless you've been there yourself and there's no denying that every parent has the right to mourn as they wish.
While some parents wish to hold on to their unborn child's memory, as this grieving mother did with her baby's crib, others wish to share their story in hopes of helping other parents who need support.
When California mother-to-be Emily Staley realized her daughter had stopped kicking at 8.5 months, she immediately feared the worst, yet still nothing could prepare her and her husband, Richard, for the heartbreaking news. Emily would have to live every mother's worst nightmare and give birth to the stillborn child, whom they had already named Monroe Faith.
That's when a friend found Lindsey Natzic-Villatoro, a photographer who specializes in terminally ill or deceased subjects for her series called Forever Loved to help document the birth and give the grieving parents something to hold on to. Unlike many parents, who choose to keep their stillbirths personal and quiet, the Staleys wanted to help increase awareness about the subject and hopefully help others in the same situation.
Although the subject of the Staleys' story is heartbreaking and caused some backlash on social media, they stand by their decision to share the photos.
To me, this is the most brave and selfless thing the grieving parents could have done. How does their story make you feel?
Please let us know in the comments and then SHARE this touching story with your Facebook friends.
