Our Son Kieran

Dedication part 2 was held 15 October, 2007, to acknowledge our friends who donated to Amara in Kieran's name. For us, this was an important gathering. Without those we honored that night, the mural would not have been possible, and the memorial for Kieran would not have been painted. October 15 was also National Infant Loss Rememberance Day, so it carried additional significance. Pictures from the event can be viewed in the Arama Mural gallery.

Amara was selected by Suzanne and I as the receipient of donations in the memory of Kieran. They're a great organization that finds families for children in the Washington state foster program. The funds donated in Kieran's name were applied to a beautification project at Amara's headquarters in Seattle. A concrete wall borders the majority of their parking lot, and they always wanted to make this dominating feature welcoming and friendly. They wanted to paint the wall with a mural that reflected their mission. Because of the generosity of you, our friends, close to three fourths of the needed funds were made available. The additional funds were raised by an Amara employee. Our only request was that the mural include a giraffe, which is Kieran's special animal. The mural was completed in August 2007. Amara held a dedication on 12 September. Because this was Rosh HaShana, the first day of the Jewish High Holidays, we decided to hold another dedication in October. Pictures of the mural can be viewed in the Amara Mural gallery.

The Garden for Kieran was actually born out of an idea that Suzanne discovered, that of creating a memorial garden out of the plants given by friends in memory of Kieran. Our friends know how much Suzanne loves to garden and how therapeutic this would be. We chose a shaded courtyard, which is on the side of our house. Fortunately, all the plants we were given are shade lovers. The garden is below our cedar tree and bordered by two sides of our fence. The front of the garden is defined by the wall we built out of pavers, making the garden about 16 inches above the ground. Through meeting with other mothers, Suzanne was inspired to create a memorial garden stone. Using a garden stone kit including extra pieces of yellowish glass, Suzanne and I designed a giraffe eating in the savanna with the sun beaming down. You'll see Kieran's name and his date of life. You'll notice, there are multiple other figures in the garden. Details can be seen in the garden gallery.

Kieran is our son. He was born, unexpectedly, 17 weeks early. He was with us for over 3 hours. We love him dearly. He was our first and only child. Our feelings for Kieran are beyond expression but the following, from Maureen Hawkins, articulates it well:

Before you were conceived, I wanted you.
Before you were born, I loved you.
Before you were here an hour, I would die for you.
This is the miracle of love.

There are numerous pictures of Kieran, including ultrasounds. Please realize that Kieran was born premature.