A little girl loses her mama

When we started trying for a baby way back almost 2 years ago, I became a member of a trying-to-conceive/pregnancy/moms message board community. Over the years, you get to know people. Some more than others, but even those you don't know on a personal level, you really do get to know them on some level. You see familiar names going through the same things you are, asking questions and looking for support when trying for a baby, becoming (and staying) pregnant, dealing with the aches, pains, and worries of pregnancy, caring for a brand new baby, breastfeeding, parenting... the things we moms all worry about.

On these boards there was a woman who was due around the same time as me, her name was LeeAnna Darby. She had her baby, Madeline Rose, 4 days after I had Rosie. She was very strong through a difficult trying to conceive process, and later, worked very hard to successfully breastfeed her child. Although I never met her, I could see from her message posts that she was a wonderful mother and genuine, caring person.

She died on Friday morning, February 4th. She was 31, and her baby girl is 8 months old. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor that was benign, and the prognosis was good. But while she was waiting for her surgery she passed away peacefully in her sleep.

I just can't even imagine the pain her husband must be feeling when his daughter wakes in the night looking for her mama to come in to nurse her back to sleep. He must feel so helpless.

I feel very sad for this family, but mostly for Maddy. She'll never know her mother. She'll never get to snuggle up against her mother's breast again. She won't have a mom to confide in and run to when she needs a motherly hug. She won't get to look in the pews on her wedding day and see her mother there with a handful of tissues.

Madeline Rose

LeeAnna's obituary was posted today. A highlight from the obituary:
Our hearts are broken. How can we begin to sum up the life of this beautiful woman who enriched the life of everyone whose heart she touched? It is difficult to tell you about her in just a few short paragraphs. LeeAnna was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. She grew into an accomplished, caring, loving, spiritual, strong and intelligent woman. LeeAnna was very artistic and her gardens reflected her eye for beauty. She loved life and placed the highest value on her relationships with her family and friends. She had a wonderful sense of humor and a calming presence. LeeAnna and Mathew gave us the most beautiful granddaughter in May of 2004. Madeline Rose was her pride and joy and LeeAnna and Mathew were the happiest that we had ever seen.

An account has been established to assist in the care of Madeline Rose Darby at Washinton Mutual Bank (called the Leon B. Burns FBO Mathew T Darby account). Please email me if you would like more information on donating to Madeline Rose's care.