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Josh and Kristina never imagined that having a baby could be so difficult. After years of trying, the couple thought maybe it was time to give up. But then, when one pregnancy reached full term, they were hopeful that this time their dreams would finally come true. They never expected the outcome to turn out like this, though...
Years of Trying
Josh and Kristina had struggled to get pregnant for years after they got married. They thought having kids might not be an option for them after several miscarriages. They'd even considered using a surrogate to have a baby, but the whole experience had taken a toll on Kristina and she considered giving up on having kids...
Doctors Had No Answer
Doctors couldn't explain the countless failed pregnancies. Kristina had no history of previous health issues, and various tests she'd undergone showed no abnormalities. Josh was showing normal test results as well, so they couldn't get to the bottom of the issue. But, just as they were ready to call it quits and look into other options, something changed...
A Miracle Pregnancy
A few months after they stopped trying, Kristina took a positive pregnancy test. This had happened before, so she was extremely cautious and did her best not to get her hopes up. Josh was thrilled, but he was just as nervous. They waited a couple of weeks before telling anyone the exciting news...
Ninth Months Approaching
Despite the unbelievable odds, Kristina made it to her third trimester. She felt like it was finally okay to be excited about this pregnancy, despite the several that had failed before. Surviving so many miscarriages had hardened her, but she felt a special bond with this baby. She'd been so careful for eight long months, following every rule, and she thought now her hard work would finally pay off. It was time to start planning...
The Perfect Nursery
Josh and Kristina got right to work putting their baby's nursery together. They didn't want to know if they were having a boy or a girl until the day of, so they decorated the room with all sorts of bright fun colors. Kristina was artistic and creative, and she hoped it would inspire her baby to have a bright and free-spirited childhood...
Her Favorite Addition
Josh and Kristina had been waiting to set up their baby's crib for years. Her parents had given them a cute white crib that would go perfectly with the rest of the room, but she'd never made it far enough along in pregnancy to build it. Now, they were happily setting up their baby's room and imagining a future together as a family. Kristina couldn't imagine anything going wrong at that moment...
Early Morning Pains
The next morning, Kristina woke up with unusual stomach pains. Though she hadn't felt unwell during her entire pregnancy, this feeling was too familiar. She ran to the bathroom in a panic and called Josh in. They'd been in this situation too many times before and could only assume the worst...
An Emergency Hospital Visit
Kristina and Josh scheduled an emergency appointment with their OBGYN and rushed over to the hospital. She couldn't get the cramps to subside, and she panicked assuming this pregnancy would end like all the others. Josh did his best to calm her down, but he was just as scared as she was. Neither of them were prepared for what the doctor was going to say...
The Worst Possible News
The doctor walked back into the exam room with the results from Kristina's ultrasound. The look on her face told Kristina enough. The doctor told Kristina and Josh that their baby didn't have a heartbeat anymore and that at the ninth month of pregnancy, she'd have to deliver the baby stillborn. The couple was absolutely devastated. Kristina didn't know how to react, so she burst into tears...
Unthinkable Next Steps
The doctor told Josh and Kristina they could go home while they scheduled the next part of the process. She was told she'd have to deliver the baby stillborn, something that seemed absolutely impossible to her. How had this happened? She'd never felt lower in her life, and she knew the next few days would be so painful and emotionally scarring...
A New Normal
Three days later, Kristina and Josh went back to the hospital for her procedure. She wasn't sure how she was going to get through this. How could they leave the hospital without a baby? It just didn't seem fair, after everything they'd been through...
Final Moments
Kristina's operation went smoothly, but it was the most difficult thing she'd ever done. She wasn't sure how she was going to come back from saying goodbye to their baby. They'd been through this so many times, and now they had to go back home to an empty house. Kristina promised herself she'd never go through this ever again. She couldn't live through another broken heart...
Hard Days Ahead
The following days were unbearable for Josh and Kristina. She felt deeply depressed having gotten so far into a pregnancy only to have it end so suddenly. She never thought that would happen, and she didn't know how to move on. She'd felt so bonded to that baby, a little boy, and now she felt so alone. Josh couldn't bear to go into the nursery that would now remain empty. They didn't know how to deal with this...
The Healing Process
It would be a while before Kristina and Josh felt better. They'd just lost a huge part of their lives - again - and had to learn how to move on from the loss. There were outlets for support all around them, and Kristina knew that this time they should fully take advantage of them...
Support Groups
After a few weeks, Kristina started going to support groups to talk about how she was grieving the loss of her baby. It helped her to feel less alone knowing so many other women had gone through nearly identical situations and were finding different ways to cope. Some women made helpful suggestions...
Starting to Let Go
One woman suggested having a yard sale and turning the nursery into a room of positivity rather than sadness. At first, Kristina couldn't imagine parting with any of her baby's things, but then the more she thought about it, the more she realized it might be helpful to begin to let go. The nursery was a constant reminder of what they'd lost, and Josh could help turn the room into something that wouldn't make them so sad...
A Positive Day
The yard sale had a relatively positive turnout, much to Kristina and Josh's relief. They were sad to see the nursery empty, but they knew it was for the best if they were ever going to move on. One man, in particular, had taken an interest in the crib...
A Curious Buyer
One older man took a liking to the crib and asked why the couple was selling it. When Kristina told him what happened, he was devasted for them. He was quiet for a few moments and then asked if it would be okay if he bought the crib from them. He explained that his daughter was expecting a baby next month and she needed a crib. Kristina agreed that someone should find some use for the crib, so she let him take it. She thought that would be the end of the story...
Moving On
When the yard sale was over, it finally settled on Kristina and Josh that this was their new normal. She wasn't pregnant anymore, there was no baby, and now they didn't have a nursery anymore. It was time to really deal with this and fully move on. They'd never forget this baby or the others, but they had to find a way to be happy again...
Reconnecting
After the yard sale, Josh and Kristina took some time to reconnect with each other. They made their relationship a priority again and made time to go on dates and focus on their future. They knew of couples who weren't able to survive a loss like this, but they wouldn't be one of them...
An Unexpected Visitor
One day, a few weeks after the yard sale, there was a knock on Josh and Kristina's door. They hadn't been expecting anyone that day, so they hesitantly answered the door to see a vaguely familiar face on the other side...
A Familiar Face
To their surprise, it was the man from the yard sale who bought the crib. He'd told them his daughter was having a baby and needed a crib, but that didn't seem to be the case. He asked to come inside because he had something for them, and they agreed...
He Was Saddened By Their Loss
The man, Carl, sat down with Josh and Kristina in their kitchen and explained why he was here. He was saddened by the story Kristina told him at the yard sale, the countless miscarriages and the final, untimely loss of their son, and he felt a personal connection to them...
He's Been In Their Shoes
Carl told them that when he and his wife were trying to have kids, decades ago, they experienced very similar tragedies. His wife had been unable to get pregnant, and they'd suffered through a handful of failed pregnancies as well. He saw so much of his wife in Kristina and how upset she'd been when they'd talked, and he felt the need to do whatever he could to help...
They'd Still Lived a Full Life
He told them his life story, and the fact that they'd never had kids didn't seem to be a problem. They'd traveled, had successful creative jobs, and owned many pets over the years. They had lots of nieces and nephews they'd helped raise as their own, and once the initial grief of losing their own children subsided, they found a new purpose in their life and worked hard to be present for their family and jobs and goals...
Easing Their Pain
Carl hoped his story was helping them feel better. Whether they wanted to continue trying to have kids or not, he hoped his story helped them realize that things could be okay even if it was always just the two of them. Kristina was touched, and even though she hadn't thought that far ahead about whether or not they'd try again, she was happy to have sat and talked with him...
A Thoughtful Gift
Carl left the room for a moment, and when he came back, he brought a wooden bench with him. He sat it in the middle of the kitchen and asked them what they thought. Kristina was confused. Sure, it was nice, but what was this for? She wasn't ready for what he was about to say...
A Useful Repurpose
Carl explained that he'd turned the crib into a bench for their home. He was sad to see them sell it, but he understood the pain of having to look at it without having a baby to put in it. Instead, he hoped they'd see the bench as a positive reminder of the journey they'd gone through and the promise of what their future might hold. He just couldn't stand to see them part with it completely...
Completely Shocked
Josh and Kristina were beside themselves. They couldn't belive the good deed Carl had done for them, out of the kindness of his heart. They insisted they had to repay him somehow, because they just didn't know how they could possibly thank him for this gesture. He said he had only one request...
Live a Happy Life
He asked that they do their best to be happy, no matter what life threw at them in the future. He emphasized again how he and his wife had lived such a fulfilling and loving life, and he hoped they could find that same purpose for themselves. Josh and Kristina thanked him and swore they'd never forget him. The bench stayed in their house for many years to follow.