Many of the friends we made in the weeks and months following Rayna’s death recently passed the two year anniversaries of their losses – and we are approaching that same date in just over a week. It is wild how fast two years goes by! Our friends all have such neat ways of remembering their babies and giving back to others in their honor: gardens, donated breast milk, improving hospital bereavement programs (particularly raising money for bereavement tools such as cuddle cots), and so much more. We are fortunate to have friends who love their children fiercely and show that love through generosity.
Since Rayna’s death, Nick and I have sought ways to remember our daughter. Buying Christmas gifts in her honor, donating to the hospital where she was born, giving diapers to people in need, and sharing her story with others. We continue to look for ways to honor and remember her as her delivery date again draws near. We want to leave a legacy of giving that she was unable to leave during her short life.
Our family greatly benefited from our stay and the relationships forged at Faith’s Lodge, a place we would love to leave a little reminder of our girl and our sunsets. When we went there for a reunion last fall, Nick and I had the idea to commission a stained-glass window in their great room as a way to remember Rayna in the special place that brought us so much healing and hope.
Since then, we have met with a remarkable artist who created a sketch of a window to remember our Rayna, and he is finalizing the draft and selecting the perfect glass. In the next few weeks we will go to his shop to see the layout and give final approval. We are planning for the window to be installed before this coming Labor Day and to celebrate the installation with our families and close friends.
The cost of this legacy opportunity is $7,500—approximately $1,000 of that goes toward materials, the rest is a donation to Faith’s Lodge to help other families continue to find hope in the midst of loss. We would love your help in reaching our goal and completing this part of Rayna’s legacy. We are a mere $675 away from reaching our goal—could you help us get there? If 27 people donate $25, we will be there! Check out our fundraising page for details and a link to donate (all contributions are tax deductible):
Rayna's Sunset 
2 thoughts on “Leaving a Legacy”