One thing that has been very important to me and something I have struggled with during our journey with Baby John has been “what was God’s purpose for allowing this to happen”…I fully accepted that the Lord had a plan, but, naturally, I wanted to see His plan unfold. I also have been willing to accept that maybe we wouldn't know His plan until we are in Heaven. But, the Lord has been so gracious in showing us glimpses of His plan through the Journey Through Bereavement program at WellStar. John’s short and precious life has had and will continue to have such meaning and we will be able to “pay it forward” to other families who are or will be suffering the loss of a baby before birth or shortly after. We are honored to help provide hands-on support and encouragement to families experiencing challenges similar to those we experienced during our journey with Baby John.
Most hospitals around the country do not have programs to help families prepare for and make the most of their time with the babies with life limiting conditions. WellStar, on the other hand, has been quick to acknowledge the need for such a program and it is so meaningful to be playing a small part in developing a cutting-edge program that can make such a positive impact on families experiencing some of the most precious, yet difficult, times of their lives. It is also so meaningful to us that the initials of the program “JTB” are the same initials of our sweet little John Tate Bottoms.
David, Nurse Cathy, and I had the honor and privilege of speaking to 1,000 of WellStar’s managers and executives during their annual Leadership Day event a few weeks ago. We had the chance to talk about our experience and how WellStar helped us make the most of our time with John. We were also able to share about the Journey Through Bereavement program which WellStar will, in time, be rolling out to all of their delivering hospitals.
WellStar also featured our story in their 2016 Annual Report, and we thought you all might like to see the text of the story (below) and the sweet logo for the Journey Through Bereavement Program.
“When Brittney and David Bottoms of Marietta learned that the baby Brittney was carrying had the life-limiting genetic abnormality Trisomy 13, there was no doubt that they would continue the pregnancy. From that point, about 13 weeks in, they focused their loving attention on how to welcome baby John Tate into the world, knowing he might not live past the moment of birth. The Bottoms, parents of then-three-year-old Drew, were introduced to Cathy Jones, a nurse educator at WellStar Kennestone Hospital. Cathy is experienced in helping families like the Bottoms. She agreed to coach the couple through the rest of the pregnancy and John’s birth. She walked them through many difficult decisions. And she insisted they call her—no matter what time of day or night—when it was time.
When Brittney arrived at the hospital around 2 a.m. on May 31, 2015, the entire labor and delivery team treated her “with incredible care and kindness.” Cathy had just returned from vacation and rushed to the hospital. “Cathy was our guardian angel. She stayed with me, prayed with me and comforted me.” Brittney’s birth plan called for a C-section to give the family the best chance of meeting John Tate alive. Despite the hour, many family members crowded into the surgical suite to hear Baby John’s first cries, shower him with love and capture it all on video and in photos.
For two hours, John Tate was cuddled, celebrated and prayed over. And then his precious life was over. But the Bottoms’ story lives on. To honor John’s life and to recognize Cathy Jones, Brittney and David made a generous donation to the WellStar Foundation. After much thought they chose to establish Journey Through Bereavement. The program will provide hands-on support to parents going through similar challenges. And it will offer training and encouragement for caregivers and clinicians. The program’s initials, JTB, also are those of John Tate Bottoms. Adds David, “We want to help create a standard of care so people can have the kind of experience Cathy provided us. The time you have in the hospital is your only time with your child, so it has to be as perfect as possible, with no regrets.”
God is good!