Keeping My Promise to Josiah

The Little Life Big Loss book – Where Love Continues Beyond the Heartbeat – officially becomes available at 10am AEST on Tuesday, July 14.

It feels surreal that we'll soon have this book in our hands, and our babies' names out in the world.

I wanted to share a little about why I decided to contribute to this book.

At Josiah's funeral, I wrote him a letter that I read aloud. In it, I wrote:

"I promise you, Josiah, I will never forget you. I promise you I will always speak your name. I promise you that I will honour your little life in the way that I live mine."

Contributing to this book is part of keeping that promise.

Firstly, I get to share Josiah with the world. His name, his life, his legacy will be out there in black and white. The warmth that brings to my mama heart is hard to describe. Our son. Josiah. His name read. His name spoken. His name not forgotten.

But I also promised Josiah that I would honour him in the way I lived my life. Choosing to be part of this book allows me to do that in several ways. It's choosing to be brave, to be vulnerable, and to be open. It's choosing to share my heart and our story.

Most importantly, I hope it makes a difference.

I am a mother. A mother who knows the shock of an unexpected diagnosis, the rhythms of NICU life, the ache of empty arms, the disorienting experience of returning to a world that keeps moving on, and what it takes to keep showing up in that world.

My hope is that my story—and all of our stories in this book—will help shed light on the reality of baby loss. I hope it will gently normalise the messy reality of grief. I hope that other parents walking this unimaginable journey will pick up this book, read our words, and feel less alone. And I hope that those who haven't lived this experience will come away with a deeper understanding of how to compassionately and gently care for those who have.

This is a passion project for every one of us contributing to this book. We have each chosen to contribute our stories voluntarily, without financial gain, because we believe this project is bigger than ourselves. It's about honouring our babies, supporting grieving families, and helping others better understand the experience of baby loss.

For me, it's also about keeping my promise to Josiah—to speak his name, to honour his little life, and to choose courage in the way I live mine. If his story helps even one person feel less alone, then sharing it has been worth every vulnerable word.

The book officially releases at 10am AEST on Tuesday, July 14, and will be available on Amazon.

Find out more about the book and Little Life Big Loss here.