Many of you may have heard me mention baby Chloe in past blog posts or on Facebook. She was one of our dearest NICU friends. Chloe was born on January 11, 2010, just 6 days before Clark. Her mother, Dawn, and I were next door neighbors in the antepartum unit. We would have met before the babies were born, as she tried to come visit me, but I missed out on that meeting because I was taking my bed rest quite literally and napping. We ended up meeting each other when the babies were just over a week old at the NICU support group. I was amazed by her strength and poise, even then. Kindness and gentleness was in every word she spoke, and she was recovering from a very complicated pregnancy with a tiny 1 lb baby in the NICU. I admired her.
As the weeks passed by, Chloe & Clark faced many, many struggles. Clark battled pseudomonas and Chloe had multiple surgeries for very serious health issues. After Clark came down with pseudomonas, Jeramy and I moved into the Ronald McDonald house. I was worried about being away from home, having only one car (which Jeramy had to use to get to work), having such a sick baby and being alone. Imagine my relief when I realized that I wasn't alone, Dawn was at the RMH too! (In fact, another support group mom, Kristy, was there, and LaRhesa who also had a preemie in the NICU.) I definitely was not alone. I'll never forget the time Dawn and I sat up late into the night talking & getting to know each other. She was a Christian, like me, who was also relying completely on God to get her through all of this. There is nothing like that bond people share in Christ.
Through the ups and downs (and Chloe had more than her share of downs) of the NICU, Dawn and her husband David remained steadfast. I know this wasn't easy with two other children at home, and on top of it all Dawn was still running her in-home daycare, but she pulled it off and she did it with a grace like I can't describe. And here I was, feeling like a barely functioning drone. From the moment I met her, Dawn has inspired me and from what I can tell, everyone else who meets her feels the same way.
Close to the end of Clark's NICU stay, he was moved to the CCN, the continuing care nursery. I was (1) overjoyed & (2) terrified. We were down there all by ourselves...and as good of a place as this was to be, I wanted our friends down here too! Imagine my joy when a day or two later baby Kierson moved in, closely followed by our dear, sweet Chloe! Chloe was still tiny (around 3 lbs) but so beautiful and just as cute as could be. I can't tell you how happy I was that Dawn and Chloe were so close. I knew when I went home at night that Clark wasn't alone, Chloe was with him...only about 8 feet away.
The time for Clark to go home came after 75 long days. In all honesty, I was so scared to bring this tiny little guy home, away from all the doctors and nurses who had proven they were capable of saving his life, and away from our dear NICU friends that we had laughed with, cried with and leaned on for so long. But I knew and prayed that they would soon follow and bring their precious babies home, too.
Sadly, Chloe never got to come home. I won't go into the details because it truly is heartbreaking and I think the point of Chloe's life was to encourage people and lift them closer to God. In the summer, Chloe was transferred from the NICU to the PICU (pediatric ICU). Her parents were told it was likely she'd be there until 18 months-2 years. This just broke my heart. I wanted & prayed for this sweet, precious baby to come home!
Chloe passed away peacefully with her parents by her side on September 21. Yesterday Jeramy and I attended the celebration of her life. It was the most beautiful memorial service I have ever attended. It was perfect in that it truly reflected the beauty that was Chloe Gallaway. The service began with voices blending in song, describing God's amazing grace. There were powerful stories from NICU & other hospital staff and friends about the impact her life made on them. Her father played the most moving classical acoustic guitar accompaniment to a slide show of Chloe's life. The service was filled with beautiful music, praises to God and hope of heaven. At the end, Dawn took the mic and sang with a most beautiful voice a song about faith and God's triumph over death. The congregation stood, hands raised high. This family's faith was a testament to each and every one of us.
At the internment there was a white dove release. I had heard of this before, but never had taken part in one. There was one dove that represented Chloe's spirit. This dove was carried around the circle of all in attendance and we were able to touch it. Then Dawn and David took Chloe's dove and held it for a moment, then gently released it to fly high over us. After Chloe's dove flew, 3 other white doves were released, symbolizing the Father, Son & Holy Spirit. Together, these doves flew into the bright blue sky until we could no longer see them. They were flying home.
Our family is heartbroken about Chloe's passing. It's just not fair and we hurt for her family. But the comfort we have is that she is with God, he's holding her in his arms and she is whole again. Chloe's impact on my life is such that I will work that much harder to make sure that I will see her again someday. In fact, I pray that her life will have that same effect on everyone that knew her.
This post is dedicated to the inspiring life of
Chloe Elizabeth Gallaway
January 11, 2010 - September 21, 2010
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