For those who don't know, my sister, Boothe, and her husband, Conor, had a baby girl last September named Copeland. She was diagnosed with a genetic disorder the summer before her birth - news that crushed her future parents and our family. She joined us on September 18, 2007.Having never really heard of the disorder called Trisomy 18 I researched it and found that the majority of babies born with the disease do not survive the first week of pregnancy. In addition to being abnormally small, she had a hole in her heart and paralysis of the entire left side of her body. Copeland passed away 8 days after her birth. At the time I was studying in California and made the tough decision to stay there when Copeland was born - knowing that I would soon need to make a trip home for a memorial service. I still regret not being there to meet her and share in the joy she brought everyone who met her.
It is now 10 months and two days after her birthday. Copeland's impact on my family - specifically the outlook of my sister and her husband - are still recognizable today. It was a tough mental process to understand that God had a plan for Copeland, albeit short here with us. Not only was God's plan bigger than just Boothe and Conor, but it also affected those who surrounded them in their struggle. In return, it was amazing to see what comfort friends and family brought in a time of great doubt and hardship. I don't think either of them cooked a meal for about 3 months...
During the summer of last year, Boothe began keeping a blog - the first one I ever truly followed. She began sharing her experiences and feelings throughout the pregnancy and how her relationship with God and her family progressed during that time. Since then, literally thousands of people have shared the impact her writing has had on their own personal experiences. I, too, have been greatly affected by her ability to communicate so powerfully in her blogs.
Her pictures have been perfect also, here's one of Copeland's first birthday party - first week that is. Haha, I love it.
I guess at the heart of it I am amazed at the impact that a 4 lbs. girl who was here for 8 days has had across the world. Her loss was more of a gift than anything and I cannot forget that Boothe wrote her cup truly overfloweth during this time.
We all still miss her greatly but are overwhelmed at the idea of reuniting with her...
Here is the letter Boothe and Conor wrote to Copeland and read at her memorial (also be sure to watch the videos linked below):
Dear Copeland,
On the day you were born, we had prayed for you for two years. You were the answer we had been waiting for – with one exception. You were more. You were better. God truly poured out one of His greatest blessings on our family when you came along.
We knew that you were going to be with us only a short time, but we didn’t realize it would be so short. Who can prepare their hearts to lose what they’ve ached for, what they’ve found a piece of their soul to be knitted together with? As we write these words, we know you are with our Father. We know it in our heads even though our human hearts struggle to comprehend. We believe because Jesus came and lived and died an unfair death that you are with Him now, waiting for us, who will be with you one day. Never before have our sights been set on heaven as they are now. Never before have the things of this world been dulled as they are now. We long to see you… we long to rock you, to kiss you, to watch you grow. But we will plant our feet firmly on the knowledge that those longings will not go forever unmet because we rest in the promise of Christ.
Copeland, before your birth, we had no idea how much we would love you. We are so grateful for the time we had to be your mommy and daddy here on earth. We pray the Lord will strengthen our minds to remember the precious moments He granted us with you: your delivery and Daddy’s “thumbs up” when you began to cry, sharing you with the 60-odd visitors who flooded the waiting room upon your arrival, staying up through the night with you at the hospital while Daddy and I talked about how much we had been changed just by your coming, taking you home in your carseat for the first time, laying you in the crib we thought you would never even see, rocking you, singing to you, reading the Psalms over you, changing your tiny diapers and your tiny clothes, taking you to Sellers’s school so your new big sister could show you off, even keeping vigil over you through the last nights as your breathing grew heavy. I know we both count it as a privilege and an honor to have held you in our arms until the Lord chose to take you home to Him. We believe with hope that you felt carried the whole way.
We are not sure how we will go on. We will miss you so much our hearts will be near to bursting. We will long for you and wonder where you are. We will think of you every day, every hour, and ache to recreate the moments we had with you this side of heaven. But because we know you are there… we will walk. We will carry your sister, and all the other siblings the Lord chooses for you to have. We will honor the way you have changed us and the thousands of people worldwide who came to know your story by choosing each day a life that looks differently, a life that says, “Thank You, Jesus, for reminding us that heaven is real… You are real… and it’s time we learned to live like we believe it.”
We will never forget.
We love you.
Mama and Daddy
Eight Days
Home Video
One of Boothe and Conor's friends wrote the song to this video and it is pretty emotional...Enjoy
