"The Seed"
The Founder's Story

n 1995, our granddaughter died the day she was born. There was an ache in my heart to do something to help relieve the sorrow in our family. I also realized there must be other families who had also endured this unrelenting, gut-wrenching pain. I wanted to, needed to, reach out to others; to provide hope, to hold onto each other while we all searched for strength. How were we going to make our way down this undulating path with no map? No flares! No end in sight…

As my husband, daughter and I stood in the bitter cold of that November morning, I made a vow to Melissa at her grave site that the voices of the children would never be silenced. Immediately, I saw a vision of chimes in the shape of tears. They were barely touching, yet, the sound was sweet and melodious from the purest notes of the pre-born to the richest tones of the young adult.

The memorial was so clear in my mind but how could I, as one person, ever make it a reality? I'm basically shy by nature. I did not believe I had the skills to succeed. I gave into the overwhelming feeling of not being capable and after a few feeble attempts, I stopped.

Two years later, during the Lenten season, liturgical musician and motivational speaker Vince Ambrosetti told the congregation at our church, ‘…think of me as a spoon. I've come here to stir things up.'

He made it abundantly clear that just as the home is the heart of the family, so is the church the heart of the community. I began to think of the vow I had made to Melissa and the other children and began to pray for direction. During the week that followed, I worked on the garden project in earnest.

February 27, 1997 was a beautiful, sunny day in Florida. Little did I realize that by 1:10pm I would suffer a major, hemorrhagic stroke that would leave me paralyzed (right side); unable to speak or walk or see clearly. It was nearly 3 months before I returned home and a year before I regained my full strength.

Through a great professional team, the love of friends and family, and the blessings of God, I was restored to full health. Now, 10 years later, I am still enjoying (and grateful) for my health. Doctors who have seen my charts use words, such as: ‘remarkable' or ‘miraculous.'

As I sat at the computer documenting my experience as a stroke survivor, the draft for the Children's Memorial and Gardens continued to surface in the pile of papers. I knew I had to honor my promise but I still did not know how. All I knew was I could not do it alone.

 

The Formation of the Children's Memorial and Gardens

I shared the garden concept with Reverend Carmello Cadarso, Pastor (now retired) of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Bradenton, Florida. As all good pastors, he suggested we form a committee, ‘…see if there's any interest.' On
July 28, 1998 12 people sat around a large table in the rectory. We were willing participants in the formation of a group dedicated
to helping loved ones grieving the death of a child. Our first two orders of business were to write a Mission Statement and a
Code of Ethics.

October 22, 2000 approximately 400 residents from Manatee and Sarasota counties joined 2 dozen clergy representing Jewish, Catholic and Protestant faiths and 57 volunteers to dedicate the Children's Memorial and Garden. This was not the end but the beginning of a journey based on faith, nurtured by love, and inspired by the people we meet every day.

Each isolated garden we've discovered scattered across our nation stands as a silent profession of love for our children and each other. They are a monument to visitors that none of us have to walk this path alone. The gardens are in church yards, on hospital grounds, in city parks, at schools and near civic buildings. Let these places of beauty and serenity become for those in sorrow a message of healing and hope.

What we're accomplishing is a testament to the talent and dedication of hundreds of volunteers from all walks of life, all ages, faiths and communities. Thank you for so generously sharing your gifts and time.