Rory Sloane and his wife, Belinda, launched a new foundation for funding stillbirth research. The couple released an emotional video detailing what they went through last year: 34 weeks into pregnancy, they lost their son.
On August 24th, 2018, the couple found out that their baby would not survive. Belinda believed something was wrong, and a visit to the doctor revealed that Leo did not have a heartbeat. They went through a rollercoaster of emotions, and the grief they felt cannot be fully captured into words. They were so excited finally meet their baby, and they were able to hold him for a little bit. Both parents were so happy to see their little boy, but then they realized they cannot take him home. All they could do was hold him and imagine the son he could be.
The couple spent a day and a half with their stillborn child before deciding to cremate him. They wanted to keep his ashes, but this process made the goodbye final. Just as they experienced the joy of welcoming a new person into the world, they handed their baby boy off to the funeral home. Even though they didn’t have him for long, the couple believes that they learned many valuable things from Leo. Now, they are sharing his story to the world, hoping that it can help other parents.
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In order to raise awareness and provide support for parents who went through something similar, the couple started “Lion Warrior.” In honour of their own lion (Leo), the charity campaign aims to raise awareness and funds for stillbirth research. The goal is to reduce the number of stillbirths in Australia and to make sure parents who went through it receive the proper support.
Losing a baby this way is one of the most heartbreaking experiences anyone can have. The pair admitted that they needed a lot of counselling and support from their loved ones to get through the tough time. Many other parents need this support, and it shouldn’t be taken lightly. Seeing your child die can forever change you, and you need all the love you can get to heal from the experience.