East Texas mother donates care packages after loss of first born baby

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - An East Texas mother shares her grieving journey with other women after losing her first born baby.

"We were super excited, and we found out it was a little boy," says Lexi Sullivan, an East Texas resident.

But life did not prepare Sullivan and her husband for what was going to happen next.

"His heart was fading, and they said, 'you can see it on the monitor, you can see it's not beating as fast as it was,'" says Sullivan. "And they said, 'so you're going to lose him.'"

The emotional toll of losing a baby, whether through miscarriage, stillbirth, or infant loss is tragic, and yet many women face this grief in silence.

"I kind of went numb, you know," says Sullivan. "They, laid him with my husband, and I on my chest, and they said, you know, 'hold him while he's warm, because he won't be warm for long.'"

According to the National institutes of health, about 24,000 babies are stillborn each year, and about 10% to 15% of pregnancies end in a miscarriage.

"It's not only heartbreaking to the families, it's very detrimental to the staff," says Bonnie, Bearden, UT Health NICU clinical manager. "Especially for the babies that we care for in the NICU, because we've developed relationships with those families, so we experience that loss just like they do."

Sullivan's healing journey began when one of the founders from Eve's Victory, based in Louisiana, reached out to Sullivan after hearing her story.

"She said, 'I think you would be wonderful as a board member,'" says Sullivan. "She said 'we plan on doing our first care package drop at Christmas this year', and it was the same year we had lost Dak, and I agreed."

The care packages aims to support families in the NICU, miscarriages, and who have experienced infant loss.

"Being able to bring care packages to families and let them know we understand what you're going through, and we're here for you, you know, has been a huge part of my healing journey with Dak," says Sullivan.

Eve's Victory has multiple branches in Georgia, Tennessee, Louisiana, Pennsylvania, and now in East Texas. Sullivan became the first to expand its donations to families in Tyler.

"They're very grateful to get those types of care packages because they know there's other people out there supporting them through this, and they have an opportunity to connect with those people," says Bearden.

Sullivan continues sharing her story with other women in East Texas who also donate items for care packages that are sent o hospitals.

"Losing a child is not what a mother's meant to do, you know, any parent," says Sullivan. "You're not supposed to bury your child first."

Every year during the month of October, Sullivan lights a candle in remembrance in honor of her sweet baby boy.

Eve's Victory branch in Tyler is currently accepting donations for their care packages that will be dropped off to hospitals this year for Christmas.

To learn more about ways to donate items for Eve's Victory care packages,.