I wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who has offered their love, support and prayers to my family as we have dealt with the horrible loss of dear sweet Annie. Your words helped me stay strong for my cousin and helped me cope with a very difficult time in my life. I am overwhelmed by the number of people with such big hearts across the web. A few of my dear friends even set up a fund for the family for anyone who would like to help out, because as I am sure you understand, a funeral for a baby is not exactly something you have worked into your budget.
Lots of people have been asking questions about how we are doing and what happened so here is a bit of information I would like to share with everyone.
Annie was my cousin T’s baby. Our family is a very tight knit one and we are always together everywhere we go everything we do. As my hubby says “everything is a family affair in this family isn’t it?” it is and I wouldn’t change it for the world. T is the sister I never had, we have been through so much together and have always been there for each other, good and bad times.
As most of you know my oldest child is a girl, there have been 8 children born into our family since my daughter and they are all boys. Just when we all thought everyone was done having kids my cousin found out she was pregnant again. So of course T’s pregnancy spread through the family with excitement and hope for that little girl no one else had been blessed with since I had my daughter 12 years ago. Just as I did 12 years ago with my daughter, I willed T’s baby to be a girl and so did everyone else, it just wasn’t going to be any other way. I was with T the day she found out Annie was a girl we cried together with excitement! Within a few days the pink was up everywhere, a beautiful nursery was put together complete with her own canopy crib.
Annie made her debut in this world 8 weeks early on Father’s Day, June 21st. Her birth saved her mother’s life. My cousin had not been feeling well and went to the hospital, they put her on monitors and began trying to figure out what may be wrong. After several hours of monitoring, Annie began to show signs of distress so an emergency C-Section was done. T’s appendix had ruptured and she was in really bad shape, had the section not been done it could have turned out really bad for both of them.
Despite being born 8 weeks early, Annie was a whopping 4 lbs 11 oz and in very good health. After a few weeks she was able to come home to her beautiful pink room into the loving arms of her parents and 2 brothers. She was fine, she was eating constantly, she was growing quickly, she was already 11 pounds. Last Saturday she was a bit cranky and spiked a fever so T took her to the hospital. I am not going to rehash the details here for everyone to see, I will tell you that a series of events unfolded that stemmed from a serious infection no one could have seen coming and that is how we lost sweet Annie one week ago today.
I will also tell you that this is not the first tragedy involving a child my cousin has had to endure. 3 years ago her now 9 year old son was involved in a horrible freak accident that resulted in him having 3rd degree burns on most of his body. He still has complications from the accident one of which is breathing problems. As I write this post, he is having surgery to help him breathe better. He is in the same hospital on his way to recover in the same PICU where we all sat in vigil with Annie.
All of this only leads me to one question, WHY???? How much can one mother take? What reason could there be for Annie to be given to our family after waiting for so many years for a girl only to be taken away so soon? I have always believed God has a plan for each and every one of us that we may not know, but I am having a very hard time understanding what His plan for Annie is.
Everyone is doing as well as can be expected at this point, there is a long tough road ahead for everyone, so please keep my cousin and her family in your prayers in the coming weeks.
Thank you all again from the deepest depths of my heart.
~Kim
Tags: annie 
Kim that was absolutely incredible, I started crying right when the music started playing, you did an awesome job! Annie and her family are in my prayers
So very sorry for your loss. My heart aches for your family, especially Annie’s mother, father and brothers. I don’t know what the answers to your questions of “Why?” are, but I hope that through love, prayer, and time spent together your family will come closer to a sense of peace and understanding.
My deepest sympathy.
Melissa Wardy
What a beautiful tribute to our sweet little Annie. She will always be in our broken hearts. I have been struggling with “Why” and I guess we will never know the reason of why God gave her to us and then took her away after two months.
Love you
Mom
Have been thinking about you and your family!
We <3 you Kim. Thoughts and prayers are with you right now. If you ever need to talk, I’m here.
Wow….that was beautiful! You already know I’ve been thinking about you and your family ALOT, but this is just a friendly reminder.
Oh my goodness
I couldn’t keep watching right now, because I’m already in tears. The first half I saw was beautiful…. makes me think so much of my Mya.
This is a beautiful video you did. Little Annie is so precious. I am very Sorry for your loss. My prayers are with you and your family.
You and your family are in my prayers Kim. God Bless You.
Thank you for sharing the photos.
I just wanted to express my sympathy over the loss of little Annie. It is hard not know why in these times. My heart is aching with you and your family.
I can’t even begin to understand the grief you are experiencing right now. My thoughts and prayers are with you and your cousin at this time.
I am so sorry for your loss. You are in my prayers
sadness at the loss
anger asks, “WHY?”
His son died on a cross
He counts the tears we cry
you cannot hold a memory
the blessing snatched away
His plan is a mystery
still, to Him we pray
bless this little family
hold them in Your love
give them strength and , tenderly,
guide them from above.
oh my goodness, I am so sorry and my deepest condolonces to you, T, & all their family. What a dear beautiful baby! When someone passes I always think of the scripture, “to be absent from the body is to be in the presence of the Lord.” Thank God we have eternity with the Lord and our loved ones or death would be unbearable.
This is my first visit to your site but I will add you and especially T & her family to my prayer’s. May God send legions of His angels to comfort them now & may God heal and restore her son back to good health and may he have a long and healthy life in Jesus name. God bless you all!
Kim
I just wanted to say thank you for everything. I love you so much and you are more like a sister to me than a cousin. You were there for me when both my boys were born and you came up after Annie was born. She was our little girl, and then only after 10 short weeks she was taken from us, but you were there with me holding my hand at the end and I love you for that.
Thank you to all of her readers for all your thoughts, prayers, and support. Just this week I was writing thank yous for the people who sent flowers and cards, but I just could not send on to my best friend, my sister, she knows how much that I care and love her.
Love always
Tina
(Annie’s Mom)
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