Alex was named by her big sister. From the moment that Avery was told about the idea of another Hart baby, she had decided with great conviction that the baby was a girl, and that her name should be Alex. Whenever we suggested to her that it may not work out that way, she only stood stronger, suggesting that we did not know what we were talking about.

...And so it seems, Avery was right .

On April 22nd Alex was born, and at just 22 weeks she was whole, with fingers and toes and traits that we could already see mirrored ours and her sisters. She was beautiful and will forever be every bit our daughter as Avery and Emmerson.  We held her for hours, and we now know now that a baby is loved, deeply and profoundly, far before there is ever a birth.

And….we miss her...as though we had known each other for a lifetime. 

Each new life... no matter how fragile or brief... forever changes the world. In an instant, Alex touched our hearts everlastingly. In time, our joys will be greater, our love will be deeper, our lives will be fuller, because we shared this moment with her – we will know a different kind of life from that time on.

We will celebrate each year on September 3rd, the expected day of her birth that she was to have shared with her big sister Avery. And we will always honor the day of her death, for having had her in our lives. As we cling to the dreams we had for our daughter, we will cherish the memories of our brief time together, knowing they must now fill a lifetime.

We hope that you will think of Alex too, and not be afraid to ask us about her or call her by name. For she will forever remain a precious gift, as a daughter, sister, niece, grand-daughter, cousin, friend and playmate. We will always be grateful for your support and understanding as we move forward and slowly heal - always loving, never forgetting.

It has been said that the death of a child is so against the tide of nature that people are shocked into silence. It creates an ‘invisible society’ of mothers, father, siblings, extended family members and friends who are all grief stricken with this most unimaginable loss. As our family struggled through our sadness, we were touched by so many who had also suffered the loss of a wee soul. The numbers of whom could easily fill an auditorium. And while it was comforting to be with someone who truly understood, it saddened us to become aware of the sheer numbers. We became driven by a need to do something more…to honor these wee spirits in some meaningful way.