Valarie Watts was devastated when she gave birth to her stillborn son in July. She chose to give up the majority of the things she had purchased in preparation for bringing Noah home because she was still in mourning.
She chose not to include the white crib in her yard sale last month because she was unable to part with it. Gerald Kumpula, a retiree, requested to purchase it after seeing it.
When Watts, 28, learned that Gerald, 75, was a craftsman who constructed benches out of used headboards and footboards, she finally gave in.
Watts remarked, “I was somewhat at ease with it because he would be creating something lovely.” For $2, she gave it up.
When Lorene, Gerald’s wife, asked Watts how old her kid was after seeing the baby items at the sale, she opened up to Watts about her tragic experience.
Lorene told Gerald Watts’ story on the way home. With fifteen children and numerous grandkids, the Kumpulas were aware that Watts should have the crib. A week later, Watts received a bench constructed out of the crib from the newlyweds.
“It’s beautiful,” Watts said in an interview with TODAY.com. “There are still good people out there,” I thought.
In order to commemorate Noah, she put the bench in her living room.
“I’m so happy that it’s not just sitting around doing nothing,” she remarked. “I can now sit in it, hold his bear, and, if necessary, think about him.”
Noah was delivered by cesarean section on July 22, just hours after Watts and her fiancé Jimi Hamblin found out that there was no heartbeat. Watts had experienced decreased baby activity in the latter days of her full-term pregnancy. Doctors claim that the compression of the umbilical cord denied Noah oxygen.
The Kumpulas were more sympathetic to Watts’ suffering than most because their first grandchild was stillborn.
“A crib that isn’t being used is a depressing reminder,” Gerald added. “A bench functions more as a monument. It’s a part of that awful event, but it’s not a reminder like an empty crib would be.
Gerald denied Watts’ offer to pay him.
Simply put, being able to help someone is pleasant. Helping others is pleasant,” he remarked.
Watts is getting married to Hamblin this September and has a daughter, Nevaeh, who is seven years old. She claimed that the bench, which is next to a bookcase in the corner that contains pictures of Noah, his footprints, handprints, and ashes, is assisting her in overcoming her loss.
Watts, a babysitter, remarked, “Even though he’s not here, I feel reassured by his presence when I’m sitting in it.” It’s a calm, everything is fine kind of sensation. I can sit on the bench and feel fine when I’m feeling low; everything will work out.
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