Very Own Angel Bears Help Mourning Mothers

By Melissa Maynarich, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A young mother who lost her baby boy only a few hours after he was born has turned her sad story into an uplifting message for other mothers.

Stephanie Stewart said she has her very own angel.

"He was welcomed into this world with nothing but love. He left with nothing but love. No needles, no pain, no rejection, no heartbreak," Stewart said.

In the womb, her son Vayden James had a lower urinary tract obstruction causing his kidneys to fail. Doctors gave Stewart the option to terminate the pregnancy at 22 weeks. Instead, she carried her son to term, and after birth, Vayden lived for 3 hours and 45 minutes.

"When he passed, it was the most peaceful experience, and it seems like it shouldn't be. But it was kind of like, it's all over baby. You're okay now. You're safe. You no longer have any kidney problems. You can breathe," Stewart said.

Now, with every breath that this young mother takes, she's dedicated to helping other moms, coping with their baby's passing.

"When someone loses a child they expect you to grieve and then you have to almost kind of get over it, but we don't get over it. We just get better. It's no better, it's no worse. It's just different," Stewart said.

Stewart has donated 345 teddy bears to hospitals in Oklahoma, one for each mother who is suddenly without their child.

"It's a reminder that somebody else has been through it. It's a reminder that somebody cares. And like Stephanie says it's just something physical here on earth that you can look at, and hold, and remember," said Jane Childress, OU Medical Center.

Stewart said the bears are a way to start mothers on the path of healing.

"You can put yourself in a place where you forget you even went there. So if you had that bear, it's a delicate reminder to make you smile. To show you, you went through something. And that you have your very own angel," Stewart

Stewart said she plans to expand the ‘very own angel bear' donations to hospitals in other states soon.

She also created a web site to offer to support for moms on the Internet.