Mom Shunned By Friends After Her Son Was Stillborn Speaks Out
August 17, 2017

"All my life, my body has been failing me. Now the odds were stacked against us to have a child. I was heartbroken and took it really hard," Mary explained.Mary suffered from a low ovarian reserve and Dan had a low sperm count. Together, that made the odds of the couple conceiving naturally very slim. But as the couple began preparing for in-vitro fertilization (IVF), they got a wonderful surprise. Somehow, Mary conceived naturally!
Joy Turns To Heartache
Needless to say, they were over the moon. But at 38 weeks, the excitement came crashing to a halt. Doctors discovered Mary's little boy no longer had a heartbeat."I didn't believe it at first. It didn't sink in," Mary said. "All I could think was, 'I've been through so much, and my body's let me down again'."Mary gave birth to a stillborn son they named Johnny. Holding him was both wonderful and heartbreaking all at once.
"We held Johnny, spending as much time as we could with him," Mary recalls. "Our family came and spent time with him, having a cuddle with Johnny."RELATED: Florida Issues Birth Certificates For Parents Grieving Miscarriages Going home empty handed was devastating.
"I couldn't face anyone, not even my family. I had a caesarian. But the pain of the caesarian is nothing compared to losing my baby. I didn't feel a thing," Mary said.It's a time you'd expect the couple to be showered with love. But to Mary's bitter surprise, most of her friend's steered clear.
Johnny's life was so short, but it was still a life. And he was so loved. That's what Mary wants people to understand about her stillborn son."After Johnny I lost some friends, who I thought were close to me, because they didn't want to come and see me. They didn't know how to react," she explained. "And that's heartbreaking. The one thing I wanted to do more than anything was talk about Johnny because I was so proud to have had him. He was a beautiful little boy."
Breaking The Silence
Sadly, there seems to be an unspoken stigma around miscarriages and stillbirths. People just won't talk about it because it's so hard. And as a result, the poor parents often carry the pain in silence. Their loss is kept secret, and so is the beautiful life they lost. RELATED: When You Can’t Have Kids, It’s Not Wrong To Be Sad It took Mary two years to get up the courage to share her story. But she's doing so in the hopes of shedding light on the "taboo" topic of stillbirth and miscarriages. More couples sharing their stories will help give others insight into what they're experiencing. And hopefully it will encourage others to show support and love, rather than to just avoid those experiencing such a painful loss. You can find tips on how to care for a mother who's lost a child HERE.Silver Lining
After Johnny's passing, Mary and Dan decided to try again, this time using IVF. Amazingly, the very first treatment was a complete success, and Mary became pregnant with another son. This time, though, Mary just couldn't get excited. She feared having another stillborn son. RELATED: How To Care For A Mother Who’s Lost A Child Their rainbow baby, Sam, was 5 weeks premature and spent 2 weeks in an incubator. But the little fighter pulled through and has been every bit of the blessing the couple longed for.
"The heartbreak of suffering a stillbirth is far more painful than anything I experienced with my arthritis, or with the countless operations I've had," Mary said. "I didn't think for one minute that it would happen to us. I didn't think that a baby could die at 38 weeks. But you're not a failure. You're not an embarrassment. And we need to be more honest when it does happen. It's taken me two years to pluck up the courage to share my story. I want to talk about the son I lost, and get others talking about it too. I want to shine a light on stillbirth. It's such a taboo thing and because it's a sad thing to talk about people don't want to open up."h/t: Daily Mail YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Cashier’s Act Of Kindness For Grieving Mother Goes Viral
Today's Devotional
A Valentine’s Day Prayer to Cultivate a Tender Heart toward God - Your Daily Prayer - February 14
Here are four ways to help cultivate a tender heart towards God this Valentine's Day.
Today's Devotional
A Valentine’s Day Prayer to Cultivate a Tender Heart toward God - Your Daily Prayer - February 14
Here are four ways to help cultivate a tender heart towards God this Valentine's Day.
Past Stories
- 98-Year-Old Great-Grandmother Has a Special Connection to Her Great-Granddaughter
- Mom Receives a Heartwarming Message From Best Friend After Son is Diagnosed With Autism
- Retired Army Medic Pays For Stranger's Breakfast and Leaves a Heartfelt Note
- Golden Retriever Saved by Lifeboat Crew After Running Into the Ocean After a Scare
- 10-Year-Old Boy is in Recovery After Being Struck by Plane Debris While Protecting Little Sister
- Car Accident on First Date Night Without Kids in a Year, Reminds Couple That God is in Control
- Teen Wasn't Given Much of a Chance to Live After Car Crash, But Now Celebrating Her 16th Birthday
- Girl Who Died Before the 6th Grade Still Inspires Others With Her Message of 'Love is Everywhere'
- Beloved Young College Student Remembered by Fellow Students After DC Plane Crash
- Stranger Jumps Into Frozen Pond in South Carolina to Save 3-Year-Old Girl
- Man Saves 83-Year-Old Father-in-Law With Parkinson's From the LA Fires in Pacific Palisades
- Woman Felt Like She Was in a Movie When Giving Birth in a Krispy Kreme Parking Lot
- Walmart Employee Coach Justin Helps Mom and Autistic Child During Meltdown
- Woman Who Found an Old Family Photo After LA Fires Makes a Special Connection
- Teenager Who Finds Money at Restaurant, Doesn't Think Twice About Returning it to Owner
- World War Two Veteran Starts Over at 104 After Losing Home in Palisades Fire
- Charlie Sheen and Denise Richards' Daughter Lola Was Baptized After a Very Difficult Time
- Her 91-Year-Old Grandmother Is Besties With Her Husband and the Relationship Is Beyond Cute
- New Jersey High School Basketball Star Keeps Playing Through Cancer Diagnosis
- Dad Whose Daughter Died After Transplant Gives Kidney to Another Little Girl
- Musician is Reunited With Letterman Jacket, 30 Years After Ordering It Back in High School
- Twin Brothers Both Pop the Question Just Days Apart, Without Planning to Do So
- Girl Scout Saves Her Dad's Life Just 11 Days After Learning CPR
- This 100 Year Old Kentucky Centenarian Works At Home Depot, Offering Great Tips For a Long Life
- Woman Married 82 Years Has a Very Special Disney-Themed 100th Birthday Party
- Man Discovers 46 Year Old Christmas Present in the Wall of His Childhood Home
- 4 Year Old Twin Girls Are Heroes After Finding Retired Police Officers Wallet
- Her Cat Was Missing For 7 Years, But She Finally Came Back Home
- Delta Held a Plane So a Daughter Could Have One Last Goodbye With Her Dying Mother
- Even Through Dementia One Special Phrase Kept a Grandmother Connected to Her Husband
- Mom, Dad, and 6-Year-Old Daughter Are Heroes After Rescuing Woman From Overturned Car
- Couple Receive the Biggest Surprise Blessing After Cervical Cancer Diagnosis
- Old English Sheepdog Who Appears to Have Special Powers, Receives an Award
- 49 Years Later Daughter is Reunited With Birth Mother and Other Family After Taking DNA Test
- 22 Family Members Surprise Grandparents With a Fun Family Sleepover
- Scared Doodle Rescued From Thin Frozen New Jersey Lake With Help From Neighbors Drone
- Woman Caught in a Riptide is Saved by Fisherman's Hook
- Couple Finds Lost Ring In a Snowy Wonderland During Engagement Photo Shoot
- Jimmy Carter, 39th President, Passes Away at 100, Leaving Behind a Legacy of Service
- Kimberly Williams-Paisley Talks About Getting Her Voice Back After Losing It Two Years Ago
- 90-Year-Old From Oklahoma Is Rewarded For Going Out of His Way to Help Others
- Husband Decorates His Neighbors' Homes For Wife Who Loves Christmas
- Couple Befriend Older Neighbor After Hearing Music Coming From His Apartment
- California Man Carpools With Adult Children On His Very Last Day of Work Before Retirement
- Family of Three Grows To Seven Overnight With Birth of Quadruplets
- The World's Oldest Dog Spike the Chihuahua Turns 25 Years Old
- Christmas Tree Planted Back in 1979 Inspires and Unites a Small English Village
- Dick Van Dyke Turns 99 After Evacuating From a Wildfire and Welcoming His Lost Cat Back Home
- Santa and Mrs.Claus Continue to Spread Christmas Magic Even With Santa's MS Diagnosis
- Little Girl Gets a Big Elf On the Shelf Surprise Honoring the Little Brother Who Passed Away
Top Music Videos

Riley Clemmons Riley Clemmons 'Jesus Cries' Official Music Video

Anne Wilson Anne Wilson Captivates with Heartfelt 'My Jesus' Live Performance

Chris Tomlin Chris Tomlin - It Is Well

toby mac TobyMac’ ‘God Did It’ Official Lyric Video

Anne Wilson Anne Wilson 'The Cross' Powerful Lyric Video
Blogs
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.