Hello,
I never knew a group like this existed. My name is Lorie and I am
mom to Eryn, age 24; Asher, age 21; Angellynne, my baby in heaven,
and Kaley, age 17.

Angellynne was my anencephalic baby. I was a teen when my first
daughter was born, and 24 when I had Angellynne in 1986. She was my
third child. She was the first child we actually planned. I did
everything right while I was pregnant with her. As near as we can
tell, she got her anencephaly from ice cream. With her I ate lots
of ice cream. About 22 weeks into my pregnancy they recalled my
favorite brand due to the Lysteria Virus. After I found out she was
not going to survive, I searched out everything I could find on this
awful disease. One thing I found was that you have to be
genetically prone to having a baby with this, but it gets going with
a trigger. Lysteria Virus is one of many triggers.

Back to my baby. I was so excited to be pregnant again. My oldest
had just started kindergarten, and my son preschool, so I was very
ready for her. My first two pregnancies had been high risk, so I
was very familiar with the ultrasound. At 22 weeks I was having my
first ultrasound with her. As the tech ran the scanner over my
tummy, I jokingly said, "Oh Dear, This baby doesn't have a head!"
The tech burst into tears and ran from the room. Then the nurse
told me to go home and the dr would call me with the results.
Thankfully he waited until my husband was home and had us come into
his office.

My labor with her was the longest and hardest of all of my
children. It lasted 7 hours. She was a kicker, and she kicked
right up until the first contraction. That first one was very hard,
and she never kicked again. She was born 7 hours later. I was
alone in the room when she was born. My mother had left to get the
dr. I picked her up from the bed, wrapped her in the corner of my
gown, and just held her for what seemed like forever. This time is
very special to me, she was all mine. She would be 19 this coming
April 12.

I have a special story about her. My family has experienced angels
many different times, so we are sensitive to them. That was never
more clear until I had my youngest daughter. She was born April 2nd
of the following year. When she was about 3yo, we would go for long
bike rides with her in the bugger on the back. She would sing
and "read" and play barbies, always talking like she had a
companion. One day I asked her, "Kaley, who are you talking to when
you are in the bugger?" She replied, "My sister". I said, "You
mean Eryn?" and she said, "No, silly mommy, my other sister,
Angellynne, she lives in heaven". We had never, ever even mentioned
our angel to her, we felt she was too young. She still to this day
remembers talking to her sister with curly blonde hair and a white
dress while riding in that bugger. (Her other sister, Eryn has dark
hair).

This past December, Kaley, now age 17, was the passenger in a car
that flipped at 68mph and hit two walls. He boyfriend, on who's lap
she had been seated, went through the sunroof and died instantly, as
did two of her best friends. When the police arrived on the scene
they thought all five had died, then Kaley moaned. She and her
friend Brittany survived without any permanent, physical damage.
Theres no doubt in my mind who her guardian angel is...her loving
older sister, Angellynne.

Angellynne also give me comfort in the face of the news that my son,
of whom I am so proud!, will be going to Iraq in April. I am not
worried, I am confident he will have his very own, curly, blonde
haired guardian angel.

I love you Angellynne and I will see you in heaven!
Lorie