Chy’s Story
I’m Chy Salter-Roberts and I am the Executive Director of the BriarPatch Family Centre. We were asked to be part of the first annual Starry Night Gala in 2022 and have loved watching Tiny Footprints grow and evolve. The funds raised are directly helping grieving families in our region, as well as creating awareness about the impact of baby loss, and it has been an honor to be part of this amazing organization.
We had planned, dreamed and hoped for a new baby to add to our growing brood. We anticipated another carefree pregnancy, our fifth, after four healthy births and four perfect babies. But our bubble was broken and our dreams shattered when our fifth born child, third born son Bretton-Elijah Lucas arrived far too early on the morning of March 25th, 1996. His gentle birth changed our world forever and we will never be the same again.
Two years later, just as we thought we were healed enough to try again, our hearts soared with the news that we were once again expecting a new baby. This time, our miracle would be born healthy and full term, we were told, because stillbirth is so rare and would never happen to a family twice. But on August 21st, 1998, our miracle became another tragedy as Ciara-Rose Kennedi slipped into our hands and broke our hearts again. A perfect baby, with the tiniest of lips, gracing our moments together with a smile.
Since the births and deaths of Bretton and Ciara, our lives have been a roller coaster of emotions, angst, pain, growth and healing. We are stronger than ever but the years in between have included six more losses, all early pregnancies, just as heartbreaking as our two stillbirths. Being the parents of two stillborn babies, four healthy young adults and six tiny miscarried babies defines us as a baby loss family, but doesn’t diminish our love for any of our children. We embrace our babies as part of our unique life journey and are grateful now for the opportunity to share our path with others, with the hope of bringing healing to broken dreams and broken hearts.
~ Chy Salter-Roberts and Bill Roberts, along with Chelsea, Brady, Brodie and Chynna, in memory of Bretton, Ciara, Birkley, Cabriola, Cambria, Beau, Cree and Bentley
