Out of our whole journey with Connor, Heartkids has become a charity that is very dear to our hearts. They helped us during my pregnancy and also afterwards through our grief providing support in the form of a wonderful family support worker and also like minded heart kid mums for me to talk to, among many other things that are too great to list. Now its time to give back to the organisation that has provided us with so much. My beautiful sister Lizzie was kind enough to donate one of her reborn dolls that she has lovingly made and dedicated in Connor's memory. She is a professional doll maker and sells many of her dolls which are beautiful collectors items that have taken many hours to make. She painstakingly hand paints them and threads their hair using exquist mohair bought from around the world to make them look as life like as possible. As well as selling her dolls in boutique shops around Adelaide, she teaches the art of doll making to others. On Tuesday of this week, we took her beautiful doll that she was donating in Connor's memory in to the Heartkids office ready for them to auction at their big charity ball to be held on the 12th of February - the Tiny Tickers Heart Ball, in the hope that it will raise some much needed money for Heartkids SA.
I have included a photo of the doll and also one of my sister Lizzie holding it
Here is the link to the information for the Ball if anyone who lives locally is interested in going. It is a fabulous cause, the more that go the more money that is raised to help other families of Heartkids
http://www.heartkidssa.org.au/index.php/sa/news_item/tinytickersball/
My sister Lizzie also wrote some background information for Heartkids to use when auctioning the doll at the ball. With her permission I have included it here in this post. Thank-you Lizzie, we love you very much and are so proud of you. We know Connor loved you very much and would have adored you just as much as his big brother and sister do. And we appreciate every little thing you do for us xxx
In Memory of Connor Maxwell Gore
In early 2009 I was given the news from my sister Cindy, that she was expecting her third baby. I was over the moon...another little baby in the family.
During the next few weeks, Cindy stressed that she felt their was something wrong and after having her initial scan, her fears were confirmed. I will never forget that Saturday, when she phoned me to tell me...my heart just sank. Then I tried to be positive and told her that at least they knew early and that something could be done but as the weeks passed and more scans and tests were done, the news got worse and the baby was diagnosed with Ebsteins Anomoly, a rare heart condition.
Cindy and her husband Tim were told they had the option of terminating the pregnancy but decided against it as they were told there was always a chance that the baby could have an operation after birth to repair the damage.
I searched the internet for Ebsteins Anomaly and found that there were varying degrees of the condition...some seemed operable and some were so bad that the baby would probably die soon after birth. Once again my heart sank. I prayed and prayed that Cindy's baby would have the lesser of the conditions.
Each visit Cindy had with her obstetrician and then heart specialist, I would wait at home with her other two children for the news of how the baby was faring and also how Cindy was to, as this condition also affected Cindy's health, both physically and emotionally.
As time went on the baby's heart seemed to be getting larger and the problems increasing but there was always hope...we had hope.
It was decided that at 36 weeks into the pregnancy, Cindy would be flown to Melbourne to have the baby and then the baby would be transferred to the Royal Childrens Hospital where a team of heart specialists and surgeons would be waiting to operate.
The week before this time came to happen and Cindy and Tim went to the Womens and Childrens Hospital for a final assessment before Cindy would be flown to Melbourne. It was then she was told that the baby had to be delivered that day or he wouldn't make it and Cindy was in danger as well.
At 9.00pm on the 8th of October 2009, little Connor Maxwell was born. He was rushed to NICU and was put on all sorts of machines and computers to keep him alive and to assess his condition etc. He seemed to be holding his own and doing quite well.
The next morning however, brought bad news that little Connor wasn't doing so well...once again my heart sank but I had two other little people to get ready and take into the hospital.
By 10am I was in the room faced with this tiny baby boy lying on a huge bed covered in wires, tubes coming out from everywhere and noisy machines and computers monitoring his every vital sign.
My heart just about broke apart when I saw him...I wanted to pick him up and tell him he would be OK and to just fight on...and fight he did.
Sadly though by the end of the day, his vital signs were failing and his little body could fight no more. He was baptised and I left the hospital with a broken hearted little boy who had to say good bye to his baby brother and his little sister in her stoller, not knowing what was going on and I was feeling shattered. Cindy and Tim had both been so brave and along with little Connors grandparents, they had a meeting with the Dr's and specialists and it was decided to let little Connor give up his fight. He had tried hard enough.
Cindy and Tim finally got to hold their precious little boy and say goodbye to him without all the machinery that was keeping him alive.
At the age of 25 hours, little Connor became an angel and his soul flew to be with the other angels in heaven.
I then had an idea of making a reborn in memory of baby Connor. He had the most glorious golden hair...it was just like spun gold and very dark blue eyes. I will never forget his eyes.
So I approached Cindy to see what she thought and she was really happy with the idea. So I set about finding a kit that bore some resemblance to Connor and it was decided that the baby could be auctioned to raise money for HeartKids SA.
