Coming Full Circle

It’s a gift that keeps on giving. When Mr. Skry and I wanted to start a tradition in honor of our two angels, Parker and Abby, I never imagined that our random act of kindness would be coming full circle. Last summer, we decided to donate children’s books to our local Nicu. It’s a place near and dear to our hearts. Peyton spent nearly four months in the Nicu at St. John’s Children’s Hospital; Parker lived his entire life there (nearly two months). And while Abigail only lived a few hours in our hospital room, she was well known in the Nicu. So on August 16th, Parker’s “Angelversary”, we donated more than 200 books that would be given to families who were beginning their Nicu journey. Inside each book was a little tribute, a sticker that said, “In Memory of Parker & Abby”.
Within the first few weeks, I heard from several Nicu moms. They were so grateful for our sentimental donation. When our children were born more than 17 weeks premature, we could barely touch them. We spent hours each day sitting at their isolettes, praying and talking to them. In our first week, Nurse Mindy mentioned that we should bring books to read to them. The sound of our voices would be comforting to our children, who spent months listening to us from inside the womb. So when it came to doing something for others, donating books was the first thing that came to mind. I didn’t put out a public plea for donations, instead I simply mentioned it to friends and family. Our original goal of donating 50 books, one for each family, was quickly surpassed. Our donations would give the Nicu several months worth of books to hand out, and even some to keep in the hospital.
So imagine my surprise 9 months later, when I received a message on my Stacey Skrysak Facebook page. A lady mentioned that she was visiting her twin grandchildren at our local Nicu. She began to read to them their books and noticed they were from “Parker and Abby”. When I saw that message, I stopped everything and teared up. I even snapped a picture of the comment, not wanting to ever lose it. As any parent of an angel can tell you, seeing your child’s name means the world to us. It’s one of my biggest fears as time goes on: that people will forget about Parker and Abby…that as time goes by, people will stop asking about our miracle children. So seeing their names, means their memory is living on. I know that my family will always keep our angels close to our hearts, but it’s hard to describe the sheer joy I feel every time I see how their memory continues to touch lives, nearly two years after their birth.
In the past 23 months, I’ve met a lot of new people. I’ve gotten hugs from strangers, I’ve shared tears with family and friends and I’ve read thousands of emails and messages sending love to my family (Yes, I read every single one!!!). Those of you who have known me for years have seen a transformation, a sort of “pre-triplets” Stacey and a “post-triplets” Stacey. It’s true, the death of a child will change you forever.  And while my heart aches every day over Parker and Abby, I see the positive that has come out of their lives. I look at perfect (yet ornery) little Peyton and I see her brother and sister shining through. And every time I hear that someone is thinking of my angels, I know that’s a sign from above. So thank you to the grandmother who took the time to write me. It was just the sign I needed to lift my spirits and make me smile. I can’t wait to continue our random act of kindness tradition!
And a quick side note about Peyton and her siblings. Remember the beautiful Molly Bears we received last year? A non-profit organization made one for Parker and one for Abby. They are weighted bears, matching their birth weight of 1 lb 2 oz and 1 lb 4 oz. Each bear is handmade by volunteers, with so much attention to detail. Each of their personalities shine through in the stuffed animal–Parker and his football pin; Abby matching her sister’s style with a headband and tutu. This week, I found Peyton in her nursery looking at the bears. For the first time, she picked up the bears and played with them, hugging and kissing her siblings. It filled my heart (and brought out the water works). Just another sign from above!

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