Mom's grief turns to comforting others who lost child to defect
When they heard twins were on the way, the young couple was ecstatic.
Megan and William Skaggs were surprised by the news but excited to double up on baby items. Things were going well until a routine sonogram revealed bad news.
One of the boys had a life-threatening birth defect.
William Glen and Michael Joseph were born last July. William was fine, but Michael died about a month later from a congenital diaphragmatic hernia, or CDH.
The news was devastating for the Topeka, Kan., couple.
But now, the former Mundelein woman is channeling her grief into a project designed to bring consolation to parents in similar circumstances.
Megan Skaggs has started "MJ's Memories," with hopes of collecting gift bags to be delivered to parents with children in neonatal intensive care. "My husband and I want to honor every single memory that our amazing son gave to us," said Megan Skaggs, 25. "We also want to raise awareness for CDH."
MJ's Memories is part of the Internet-based Project Sweet Pea. The group's mission is to provide a little touch of comfort for parents of children in the intensive care units, by giving them gift bags filled with baby blankets, disposable cameras, journals, stuffed animals and other items.
CDH is a birth defect that occurs when the diaphragm does not fully form, allowing organs to enter the chest cavity preventing lung growth, according to the North Carolina-based Association of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Research. CDH strikes 1 in every 2,500 babies - 1,600 babies each year in the U.S. alone. About 50 percent of these babies do not survive. The cause is not known, according to the center.
Megan's parents, Kathy and Michael McEvilly, are holding a fundraiser to support MJ's Memories, at Kaiser's Pizza, 700 S. Butterfield Road in Mundelein, on Dec. 27 from 3 to 8 p.m.
Skaggs says she can empathize with parents who have lost a child in a way should never could have before MJ died. She said she treasured the short time they had with him.
"The doctors did everything they could, but it just wasn't enough," she said. "The next day, we decided we wanted to hold our son in the final moments to let him know we loved him. He passed away in my arms."
More information about MJ's Memories can be found at mjsmemories.blogspot.com. Details about Project Sweet Pea are at projectsweetpeas.com. For details about the fundraiser at Kaisers, call (847) 707-2288 or (847) 949-6420.