At our tournament this year we will have a baby remembrance of babies that our foundation has helped, or that we have met along our journey of establishing and running the foundation. We believe it is important to share their stories and say their names.
Today we remember Charlie, Charlie left us far too soon and is greatly missed by his family. This is Charlie’s story….
Charles Amos Hornback – “Charlie”
12/10/12
We found out during the pregnancy that Charlie had some complications to include heart malformation and spina bifida, among others. We made the decision together to put our faith in God and to see the pregnancy through, knowing that the odds were not in Charlie’s favor. Our story is not about the “sudden” loss of a child, but a progression through a pregnancy filled with specialist after specialist, prayer after prayer, and clinging onto whatever bit of hope we could muster. In the end, we were able to hold our breathless child close to 12 hours. And for me personally, those 12 hours were the hardest hours of my life, but I would not trade them for anything. Some people only dream about Angels, I got to hold one for 12 hours.
Daily we miss simply the joy of Charlie’s presence. Being a religious individual, I move forward with the faith that we will someday be reunited in heaven. I lost my mother at the age of 5 and I’m convinced that she is in heaven “raising” my little boy.
Emotionally the loss of Charlie has affected us profoundly. Coping takes many different forms. A husband and wife will often find that their coping mechanisms are vastly different which can lead to anger and resentment. A friend of ours graciously paid for a year of counseling which I believe was vital to saving our marriage. Grief is not about “moving on”, it’s about “moving forward”.
Honestly, finances were the least of my concern but I know this is not the case for everyone. My employee provided good insurance. And miraculously, our hospital bill from the day of birth and subsequent days in the hospital disappeared. We are not sure if a family member anonymously paid it or if the hospital did not bill us. Either way, I know this took a lot of stress out of the situation.
I think the Rhett Sullivan Foundation is a great way to honor your child! Providing resources to families is huge and also having the ability to connect with other families that have experienced loss is vital to moving forward.
~Charlie’s Daddy
