The Cothran Family, Remembering Samuel

“We found out we were pregnant with our 3rd child in November 2020 while we were on vacation in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. We have 2 little girls who were so excited to hear the news that they would be getting another sibling. Our 5 year old was determined it was a boy. With my previous pregnancies, my morning sickness ended right around 12 weeks and were by the book easy pregnancy and deliveries. At my 17 week checkup, our babies heart beat was strong and everything seemed on track.

Fast forward to my 21 week checkup, where we would have our first anatomy ultrasound and find out the gender. Instead, we found out our baby’s heartbeat had stopped. This was news I never in my wildest dreams expected to hear. I was devastated and also fearful for the events that would follow. At 21 weeks, a vaginal delivery or fetal abortion were the only options. Neither one ideal, but one was better than the other in our opinion. Delivery of our stillborn would hopefully reveal the gender that we didn’t get to see in the ultrasound, and possibly any physical birth defects that might have caused our baby’s heartbeat to stop. On March 17,2021 I gave birth to a baby boy. I was so thankful that we chose the route we did and got to hold our son, even though his soul had already left his body.

Ryker’s Rainbow came into our lives through a sweet friend of mine who knew the Schoff family and reached out to them to let her know our situation. Ryker’s Rainbow was quick to reach out to my and offer their help. They sent us a care package in the mail with a handwritten card, a gift certificate to order a memento for our son, the sweetest book that brings tears to my eyes every time I read it, and financial help for our hospital bills and funeral costs. I am so thankful to know this nonprofit organization, and that they will be there to help other families in the future that have to endure this hurt of the loss of a child as well.”

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— Angel Marty, Remembering Madelyn