You might want to invest in Kleenex. The latest issue of On The Minds of Moms Magazine is out and my latest profile piece for them is about a mum who loses her baby two weeks before her due date. Sad is an understatement.
Courtesy: OTMOM and Rialee Photography
My interview with Tami Norgard was filled with memories, tears, smiles, laughter, tissues and dreams. Tami invited me into her world… her heart, really… for 2 1/2 hours and shared an intimate story bookended by the joy of pregnancy. My editor, Dani, and I sat together listening to Tami tell us about her pregnancy with her son Beck, knowing its inevitable, heart-wrenching end. Tami wrapped her story by taking us through her final pregnancy journey, one that brought beautiful Piper into her family’s life.
Thank you, Tami, and your family and friends, for letting me share your incredible story with readers. It’s an honor and a privilege that you, and many others, have entrusted in me to put your lives into words. I never underestimate the effort - emotional, physical, spiritual – it takes a person to re-live their story so that I can write about it. My hope is that I never let you down.
Courtesy: OTMOM and Rialee Photography
Here is an excerpt of Tami’s story… you can click here to read the full profile.
She walks quietly into the birth center room, her thick, brown hair pulled into a ponytail; a camera hanging loosely from a strap around her neck, she’s anxious to get this newborn photo session ‘just right.’ She scans the room, recognizing its contents: a bed with whisper-thin sheets, a chair slept on by too many people, a muted television, and a man and a woman, cradling a swaddled baby. The baby doesn’t make a sound. His small, round head is covered with a knit cap. His tiny, wrinkly hands are tucked under his chin. His eyes are shut, as if asleep. But she knows better. She knows all too well that this baby won’t ever open his eyes. And, so, giving his parents a comforting, compassionate smile, she reaches out, squeezes the mom’s hand and says, “Hi, I’m Tami. Tell me about your baby.”
Patricia Carlson is a freelance writer based near Fargo, North Dakota. Please visit my career page to learn more about my work. Then, be sure to contact me to find out what I can do for you!
