I am so excited to be participating in the 4th Annual Let's Not Be Still! Pregnancy & Infant Loss Run/Walk.  Money raised from this event will be used to increase awareness, support research, promote education, and encourage advocacy and family support regarding stillbirth. Please help by supporting me.

 

Stillbirth is a topic that is close to my heart. On September 12, 2012, my second son, Sammy Levi, was born still at 38 weeks. I was scheduled to deliver just a week from then. After having a normal pregnancy, Sammy had a very unfortunate accident and became tangled in his umbilical cord. I was in complete shock and overwhelmed by the depth of my pain. It had never entered my mind that something like this could happen. Leaving the hospital empty handed was the most horrendous experience I’ve ever been through. I couldn’t imagine how life could go on. Combined with other events happening in my life, I fell into a deep, deep depression.

 

Unfortunately, my story is a tragedy that is more common than most people are aware of. According to the March of Dimes, one in 160 pregnancies, or 25,000 pregnancies a year, will end in a stillbirth, an event that happens 10 times more frequently than sudden infant death syndrome.

 

Often times, stillbirth is preventable with proper care and awareness during pregnancy. However, this requires more education, research and a willingness to bring visibility to the topic. Obstetricians and pediatricians rarely discuss possible bad outcomes during the happy prenatal period.  But it’s SO important that they do. Stillbirth needs to be brought to the forefront of the medical community. Just as we’ve learned more about SIDS and informed the public, there is hope that stillbirth rates will fall similar to how SIDS rates have plummeted over the past decade.

 

I hope most families never have to know or fathom the amount of pain and suffering this kind of tragedy causes. From parents and siblings, to entire communities, stillbirth creates a ripple effect of unbearable sorrow. I along with many parents am hoping that more awareness and research will provide valuable answers to understanding what has been referred to as the “last mystery in modern medicine.” 

 

Sammy would have been four this September 12. Everyday, I wonder what he would look like today, what he’d be saying and what kind of little boy he would be. Sammy’s short existence has taught me that every day is a blessing. I truly believe that he was brought to my life for a purpose. It has taken me four years to publicly share my story. I hope to help prevent any future parent from experiencing the same outcome that my family has. Please join me in my efforts. I would love to run, walk, skip, hop, or even roller skate with you… whatever will help move the dial towards prevention. Thank you!