When I was 16 weeks pregnant, we received a fatal diagnosis for our son, Logan. Our hearts were shattered but I knew that his life and legacy would be far greater than I could ever imagine.
Throughout the year our family finds many ways to remember our sweet Logan and to honor him the best we can.
Below are just some of the many ways we keep his memory and spirit alive.
Loving Our Guardian Angels in Neverland:
We started an organization called "Loving Our Guardian Angels in Neverland" and it is one of the most important ways that we honor Logan. We send care packages to families that are carrying babies with a fatal diagnosis. These packages include a handmade blanket and hat to wrap their babies in when born. Since Logan's theme is Elephants, we always include an elephant in the gift package as well. Our efforts bring comfort to these families and allows us to keep his memory alive in a loving way.
Holidays:
Our family loves decorating our home for the holidays, so we find it important to include Logan in this tradition by decorating his gravesite for each holiday. His siblings Aiden and Luna enjoy picking out items they think Logan would love - most of the time, they incorporate elephants.
For Christmas, we gift toys to a child in need from Toys for Tots or Gifting Tree that would be around Logan’s age.
Logan’s Birthday and Angelversary:
Logan's Birthday, even five years after his passing, is still the most difficult time of year for us. In his honor, we make two newborn baby baskets - one for a boy and the other for a girl - and donate them to the same hospital where we delivered Logan. The nurse kindly gifts the baskets to the first boy and girl that are born on the same day as Logan. On his birthday, we spend the day doing something together as a family that we think Logan would have enjoyed. We have cake and sing “Happy Birthday” to him. We send balloons up at the cemetery. His siblings pick a theme that they think he would have liked and then we decorate his gravesite. For his 5th Birthday, the theme was Paw Patrol. We went to see the new movie and had a Paw Patrol car and plush as a gift for him.
Community Events:
For the last five years, our family has gifted a scholarship to two students from the local high school who plan on furthering their education in the medical field.
Our family tries to attend Pregnancy and Infant loss Awareness events on October 15th each year to honor his memory and be with other families who have experienced loss. We participate in different fundraiser walks like the Rock A Walk from the Tears Foundation and Run with the Docs through Virtua Hospital. This is a great way to honor Logan as a family but to also help others experiencing a loss.
There is not a day or moment that passes by where we don’t miss our Logan. Logan’s brother and sister are amazing- they always remember him on their own and when they see an elephant or anything that reminds them of him, they always make sure to point it out.
In doing all of this, we can keep his memory alive and honor him, until we are reunited with him again one day.