I (Sarah) was 38 weeks pregnant when I felt my water break. But when I discovered puddles of blood instead, I knew something was terribly wrong. My husband Lewis and I received painful news at the hospital while I shifted in and out of consciousness: Our sweet baby no longer had a heartbeat.
We had little time to process this reality before preparing to birth our precious son who had already died inside of me. His name was Legend.
I lost a dangerous amount of blood before delivering him. Then I passed two liters’ worth of blood clots. The doctor said that Legend’s position inside my womb prevented those clots from killing me. Our little superhero lost his life and saved me in the process.
After a few days of blood transfusions and a breathing machine in the ICU, we drove home — on our ninth wedding anniversary with an empty car seat — to share the devastating news with our three boys.
It’s been heartbreaking for all of us. We’ve since learned that based on earlier signs overlooked by doctors, Legend was a healthy baby who shouldn’t have died. And we have each grieved differently together.
I still had to endure postpartum without Legend at my breast. I was suffering and didn’t want to toss out my breast milk, so I turned my pain into purpose. I donated my milk to research and mothers in need. This offering graced my grief with joy.
All five of us have found resilient healing in helping others. God’s strength has helped us continue loving people because of who and what we’ve lost. We’ll always remember the beauty and joy of Legend’s life. And we’ll never forget the kindness of strangers and friends. In offering their kindness, they’ve provided us with hope.
No matter what you’ve been through, we want to provide you with hope too. That’s why we’re sharing our story with you. And that’s why we’ve named this foundation after the son we’re without: Legend Lampley, a light in the darkness and our own personal hero.
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