In the days after Kiera died, Deb told us about a secret garden within the hospital grounds that was private and secluded. It was a hidden place where we could take Kiera to be outside, away from the hospital room, the machines, the doctors and all the commotion. We would be able to take Kiera outdoors. Let the sun shine on her perfect face. Let the cool breeze brush over her chubby cheeks. We knew that this is definitely something that we wanted to share with our daughter.
We took Kiera here on two different occasions. To Deb’s surprise, both times we had Kiera here, there were not only many people walking around the garden, but sometimes people actually in the garden itself. She had never seen this before, she thought, and the secret was getting out.
In the days after we said goodbye, Danny suggested that we use some of the funds we raised to upgrade the garden. To make it an actual quiet spot for people to go to grieve or reflect. It had brought us so much value and we knew that it could be that special spot for others in the future.
We wrote a letter to the CEO of the Hospital to request permission to undertake the works. Heidi introduced us to Daniel, the on-site landscape gardener. We explained our ideas and vision for the space, and began the journey toward having the garden ready for and official opening on October 15, Infant Loss Awareness Day.
Daniel took our vision and brought it to life. His passion for this project and true understanding of the meaning of this garden really enabled us to transform it into a space that we hope many will benefit from.