I’m so excited to be introducing you to Eva. This adorable little girl is my second Extraordinary Love Session of 2020 and it was an absolute joy to photograph her and her lovely family as a part of my Extraordinary Love Project.

Extraordinary Love Sessions are meant to honour a family’s struggle with miscarriage, infant loss, or infertility. You can read more about these special sessions on my website here.

Thank you to Eva’s family for sharing their story and their beautiful children with us. 

In Fall of 2017, Eva’s parents Claire and Frank were excited to be expecting a little boy. Pregnancy can feel very long when you’re expecting a baby so on October 26th Claire and Frank were thrilled that the day had finally arrived when they would be able to meet and hold their son Théo.

Devastatingly, Théo had a birth defect called congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). Théo was transferred to the children’s hospital just a few hours after birth but tragically there were complications related to the CDH and Théo passed away the same day he was born.

Our hearts broke into millions of pieces and we were forced to go home with empty arms. Although Théo’s passing was heartbreaking, we are so grateful for the 39 weeks (in utero) and 8 hours we got to spend with our son. This little baby brought so much joy to our lives and he will forever be loved. -Claire

The heartbreaking loss of their son brought the couple so much grief and pain that they felt at a loss as to how to continue on without Théo.

After Théo died, Frank and Claire felt extremely fortunate to have the incredible support of friends and family and reached out to community resources at the Roger Neilson House for counselling and peer support. 

Pregnancy and infant loss is a heart-wrenching path that no one should have to face alone. We are forever grateful for the immense support we have received from our family, friends, coworkers and everyone at Roger Neilson House.

With the support of their family, coworkers, and friends, and also from the support of new friends made at their group for parents who were affected by perinatal loss, Claire and Frank found a way to continue on without their son physically there with them. 

I miss my son everyday and would’ve done anything to watch him grow. Although my heart is hurting, I am grateful for the time we had with him and I am proud to be his mom. The love of a parent for their child is unconditional, stronger than death. Théo will forever be loved, remembered and part of our family. -Claire

Two years later, after many hard days, Claire and Frank were thrilled to be expecting another child; a little sister to Théo and their older sister Jasmine. On December 28th, 2019 Claire and Frank experienced another one of the best days of their lives with the birth of their healthy baby girl Eva. 

Eva has brought an incredible amount of joy to their family and I’m overjoyed for them to have welcomed their sweet little girl to their family. 

Thank you again to Eva’s family for sharing their story with us. It’s important to them to honour their son’s life by raising awareness about pregnancy and infant loss. In an effort to help others experiencing loss, they would love to share with you what they found helpful on their journey.

Resources

Resources that Claire found helpful after the loss of their son Théo, for those experiencing infant loss:

-The Roger Neilson House: The RHN offers individual, couples and group counselling. Frank and I participated in a perinatal loss support group at the RNH. I also participated in the PALS group (pregnancy after loss support group). In these groups I have met some incredible women who have become some of my closest friends. We meet up occasionally and text almost everyday. They are warriors and I am so blessed to have them in my life.

-Wanting to give back to the Roger Neilson House, as well as honour my son, I have volunteered for the Butterfly Run for the last two years. The Butterfly Run aims to raise awareness and support individuals and families in the Ottawa region who have experienced a loss during pregnancy, the loss of a child, pregnancy after loss, or are unable to conceive. Their website includes resources as well as stories from other families and the Run is a great way to get together with family, friends, and the community. 

-Olga’s Way provided tips on mindfulness and meditation.  Olga is a mindset coach and a mindfulness teacher and speaker.

-April Boyd’s “Love & Loss Project”: A psychotherapist and angel mama sharing practical tips, guidance and support to heal your heart on Facebook.

–Still Standing Magazine: For parents grieving child loss and infertility. 

–Option B: a book about facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy by Sheryl Sandberg


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