Sunday, December 9, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
Lydia Grace Focosi
About Lydia
 |
- Lydia Grace Focosi - Lydia's short visit with us
- Lord, Give Us Strength - When we found out
- Our Little Star
- Obituary
Recent Posts
- Butterflies... - Sun June 29, 2008 by Amy
- Six Months - Tue June 3, 2008 by Amy
- Yet another friend's sincere blog post - Mon December 10, 2007 by Amy
- Video tribute to Lydia - Sun December 9, 2007 by Mike
- Awesome post about the memorial service... - Sun December 9, 2007 by Amy
- Another AMAZING post about Lydia - Fri December 7, 2007 by Amy
- A personal testimony to Lydia - Wed December 5, 2007 by Amy
About our Family
Lydia is survived by her parents Amy and Mike, her brother Alex. We live in Lafayette, Indiana.Anencephaly Links
- National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- Anencephaly FAQ
- Anencephaly Support Foundation/
More Links
- Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep - Infant Bereavement Photography
- Castleton 4D ultrasound - Indianapolis, IN
- Christ United Methodist Church - Lafayette, IN
- Elston Family Church - Lafayette, IN
- Hippensteel Funeral Home - Lafayette, IN
Obituary - Lydia Grace Focosi
Infant Lydia Grace Focosi
December 8th, 2007Infant Lydia Grace Focosi, daughter of Michael and Amy Dietz Focosi, died at 5:15 p.m. Monday, Dec. 3, 2007, 28 minutes after her birth.
Surviving is a brother, Alexander Focosi of Lafayette.
Also surviving are maternal grandparents, Lora Dietz and David Gohn of La Porte, and Timothy Dietz and Linda DeLaruelle of Osceola; paternal grandparents, Joseph and Polly Focosi of South Bend; and maternal great-grandparents, Wayne Dietz of Michigan City and Elaine Dietz of Chesterton.
Visitation will be one hour prior to the 11 a.m. memorial service on Saturday, Dec. 8, 2007, at Hippensteel Funeral Home. Dr. James Farrer of Christ United Methodist Church will officiate. Memorial gifts may be given to the "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" Foundation, 7800 S. Elati St. #111, Littleton, CO 80120.www.nowilaymedowntosleep.org.
Condolences from HippensteelFuneralHome.com
2007-12-04 from: Barb WolfMay God's love make you stronger. You are in my thoughts and prayers.
2007-12-05 from: Marianne Lloyd
You are in my thoughts and prayers. I am praying that you can find comfort knowing your baby is in God's hands. God Bless you, Marianne Lloyd We are in the same church family Christ UM Church
2007-12-05 from: Pastor Bill and Lisa Wassner
Dear Friends, Words cannot possibly contain our sorrow and compassion for your family at this time. Know that Lydia is now in the loving hands of our Father in heaven. May God's gift of peace break through the clouds of grief and give you a sense of the brightness of His love. Bill & Lisa
2007-12-05 from: Sherri Harper
We wish we could be there to join in the celebration of Lydia's life. Please know that we have you in our thoughts and prayers. God Bless your whole family.
2007-12-05 from: Leora Reeder
May God bless the Focosi family at this time of sorrow. An old neighborhood friend. 2007-12-06 from: Virginia Fuller So heaven welcomes little Lydia. You did a wonderful thing Amy. I've prayed for you and your mom since I heard what was up. This little one will leave quite a mark on the world for 28 minutes. So very sorry. Ginger Fuller (A friend of your mom)
2007-12-06 from: tasha cox
Dear family my name is tasha and im so sorry to have read about your loss of your precious daughter lydia I to have been in your place with a loss of a child 4 yrs ago my boyfriend and i lost twin daughters at birth.I will keep ya all in my thoughts and prayers and know that you are not alone.I found comfort in talking to people who has been through it.God Bless you and your family.
2007-12-07 from: Brett
My family and I are so sorry for your loss. May God's grace be with you as Lydia is now with God. You are in our prayers.
2007-12-08 from: John & Suzy Maldonado
Please know that our love and prayers are with you and your family as they have been in the past. Lydia is in the arms of Jesus and will be forever loved. We will continue to pray for your family's recovery. John, Suzy, Michaela, Becca and Leah Maldonado from Christ United Methodist Church
2007-12-08 from: Tena Graham (Mom's Club friend)
Words cannot express how very sorry I am, you are in my prayers today. May a few words from the greatest book ever created, ease a little of that sadness in your heart. Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
2007-12-08 from: Jenny Boehm
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. You are in my thoughts and prayers and I wish you strength and comfort.
Friday, December 7, 2007
Another AMAZING post about Lydia
12/07/2007 03:14am by Amy
I have formed relationships in Lafayette (in just a little over a year's time since moving here) that are just UN"freakin" believable (I've been using that word a lot lately and I need to stop, but felt appropriate in this moment). One of my newest friendships has also become one of my dearest and closest friends because we experienced Lydia's labor and delivery together. Her name is Renay. She composed an AMAZING (another word I've been using and heard a lot lately) post at her personal blog about us.You must read it, so go here!!!
What do you think? Crazy, right? Comment on her blog. She will be touched and tickled by it. I am the first comment in there (proudly) and you should read my response. Renay has her own amazing story about being pregnant and delivering one of her beautiful sons, Owen. I have not met Owen yet, but I can't wait to. I'm telling you, this friendship is new and very developed in a short (but intense) amount of time. That's just what makes it one of the many "God-things" that has come out of our Lydia's little (but BIG) life.
Once again, thank you, Renay, for posting what I cannot right now, but what I truly feel. I LOVE YOU!
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
A personal testimony to Lydia
12/05/2007 12:10am by Amy
One of my closest friends, Lindsay (whom I have only known for 10 months now), wrote a beautiful testimony to God's presence in our sweet girl's life. I wanted to share with all of you because I think it is so meaningful and true. It is long, but you must read it in its entirety! I can't thank her enough for articulating so clearly what many of us feel about Lydia and her short time with us. The fact that Lindsay wrote this is just one of the many reasons that I continue to be amazed and humbled at the outpouring of love and support we have received. Words TRULY cannot express. I can't say that enough!Here is Lindsay's blog entry.
Lindsay, I love you and I thank you for taking the time to compose this...means more to me than you will ever know. YOU mean more to me than you will ever know!
Oh, and on a side note to everyone, Lydia's memorial arrangements have been finalized. If you did not receive an e-mail with the information (and you would like to know), please e-mail us directly.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Lydia Grace Focosi
by Mike & Amy
Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you for all of your love and support.
I was admitted to the hospital at 2pm Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 (at 34 weeks) because I was leaking amniotic fluid.
I was started on Pitocin right away to induce labor. I only had slight, inconsistent contractions throughout the rest of the night. The doctor broke my water at 8am Monday morning (Dec.3rd). Labor started to progress more after that.
I got an epidural at 3:30pm when the contractions were painful and a couple of minutes apart (I was still only 4 cm dilated). I dozed for an hour since I felt more comfortable and then all of a sudden I felt her head ready to push out at 4:45pm. I called the nurse and told her I thought the baby was crowning. Sure enough she was. A team of nurses and a doctor from out in the hallway (not mine because this all happened so fast) rushed in and delivered her just like that. 1 1/2 pushes later our baby girl was out at 4:47 pm, Monday, Dec. 3rd, 2007. Her heart was still beating when laid on my chest right after delivery. She lived until about 5:15pm and then went to be with our Lord.
She weighed 3 pounds, 7 ounces and was 15 1/2 in. long. She had long, skinny feet, beautiful hands, a sweet mouth, and a little dark hair. Her anencephalic condition was evident, but she was wonderfully and beautifully made by our God.
We spent the rest of the evening holding, cuddling, dressing, and loving on her with close friends and family. We took lots of pictures, made hand and footprints and cut a lock of hair. We made the most of our very short time with her as a family. Alex met his baby sister and held her hand.
I will be discharged Tuesday morning and we will want some much-needed time to ourselves at home.
Words can't express how grateful we are to SO many amazing people in our lives who have helped us abundantly during this difficult time--You all know who you are!!! We love you!
Please pray for us as we struggle through the grieving process and eventually begin to heal. Lydia's memorial service will most likely be later this week.
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength that I need...He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago....
Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 2:10
Lydia's little life was the good thing that God had planned for us and He sure has given us so much strength thus far.
We love you...please keep us in your prayers.
Hello everyone,
First of all, thank you for all of your love and support.
I was admitted to the hospital at 2pm Sunday, December 2nd, 2007 (at 34 weeks) because I was leaking amniotic fluid.
I was started on Pitocin right away to induce labor. I only had slight, inconsistent contractions throughout the rest of the night. The doctor broke my water at 8am Monday morning (Dec.3rd). Labor started to progress more after that.
I got an epidural at 3:30pm when the contractions were painful and a couple of minutes apart (I was still only 4 cm dilated). I dozed for an hour since I felt more comfortable and then all of a sudden I felt her head ready to push out at 4:45pm. I called the nurse and told her I thought the baby was crowning. Sure enough she was. A team of nurses and a doctor from out in the hallway (not mine because this all happened so fast) rushed in and delivered her just like that. 1 1/2 pushes later our baby girl was out at 4:47 pm, Monday, Dec. 3rd, 2007. Her heart was still beating when laid on my chest right after delivery. She lived until about 5:15pm and then went to be with our Lord.
She weighed 3 pounds, 7 ounces and was 15 1/2 in. long. She had long, skinny feet, beautiful hands, a sweet mouth, and a little dark hair. Her anencephalic condition was evident, but she was wonderfully and beautifully made by our God.
We spent the rest of the evening holding, cuddling, dressing, and loving on her with close friends and family. We took lots of pictures, made hand and footprints and cut a lock of hair. We made the most of our very short time with her as a family. Alex met his baby sister and held her hand.
I will be discharged Tuesday morning and we will want some much-needed time to ourselves at home.
Words can't express how grateful we are to SO many amazing people in our lives who have helped us abundantly during this difficult time--You all know who you are!!! We love you!
Please pray for us as we struggle through the grieving process and eventually begin to heal. Lydia's memorial service will most likely be later this week.
For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength that I need...He has created us anew in Christ Jesus so that we can do the good things He planned for us long ago....
Philippians 4:13; Ephesians 2:10
Lydia's little life was the good thing that God had planned for us and He sure has given us so much strength thus far.
We love you...please keep us in your prayers.
Thursday, November 8, 2007
Our Little Star
11/08/2007 10:12pm by Mike
I haven’t really said anything on here about our baby’s condition and everything that we’re going through. As one can imagine, it was devastating news to us. Living everyday knowing that your unborn child is not going to live is a terrible state that nobody should ever experience. But thankfully, we have received a lot of love and support from our family and friends. The many thoughts and prayers go a long way to ease the weight that hangs on our hearts.Amy is SO BRAVE.
I really don’t know how she does it. I could say: “I’m not saying she doesn’t have her bad days” but to say she has bad days would be a misnomer. Every day in an awful experience like this is a bad day. Yet, Amy has remained strong. The courage she has shown by living with such sad news and still being there for Alex and I, is amazing. Just keeping up with a whirlwind of a toddler is hard enough. Then pile on keeping a household together, arranging Alex’s birthday party, making play dates and researching organ donation and funeral homes. I really don’t think I could keep it together as well as she has. She’s truly a brave soul and I am so grateful. I love her so much.
Amy mentioned before that we went for an ultrasound in Indianapolis. It wasn’t for medical reasons. We wanted to find out the sex (a girl) and to get pictures that we could keep. Castleton Ultrasound specializes in 3D and 4D ultrasounds. They were very kind and understanding. They had a room that could easily accommodate family members with a large projection screen.
The pictures of the baby were great. We’ve named her Lydia Grace. Lydia was the name we always knew we’d give our next child if she was a girl. Grace, Amy decided upon recently. It’s a very beautiful name and she’s a very beautiful girl. Here are a couple ofpictures of Lydia at 28 weeks (Amy is 31 weeks currently).
This morning, Amy and I decided we would tell Alex his little sister is sick and won’t live very long after she is born. Up until this week, we really weren’t sure if we should tell him before the baby is born. He just turned three so we tend to think he’s not going to understand all that is happening. As far as he knew, mommy has a baby girl in her belly and he’s going to be a big brother soon.
Amy can articulate our reasons for telling Alex better than I can, but I think at least to me, it’s better to prepare Alex for Lydia’s birth now as best we can. After all, Amy and I have been preparing ourselves (as best anybody could prepare) since we found out the news. I don’t expect Alex to totally understand everything that is going on with Lydia. We told him that Lydia is sick and that she won’t be with us for long after she is born. He immediately let out an empathetic ‘awwww.’
Then he said something I don’t think Amy and I expected or were even ready to comprehend:
“I won’t get to play with Lydia?”
Such a sad question you wish you’d never have to hear from a three year old.
We told him that he won’t get to play with Lydia but he will get to meet her and hold her after she’s born. I know he understands a little bit about what that means. He’s already felt the loss of Jane. We told him that after Lydia is born, she’s going to go to heaven and be with Jane and God.
He started getting distracted while we were talking to him. I think Amy and I talked to him as best as we could. It’s definitely frustrating as an adult to try to relate such things to a toddler. I felt like I really wanted him to understand, but I can’t expect that from him. We were worried that if we told him he would somehow write Lydia off. But he was sweet after our talk. He wanted to lean in to give Lydia a hug but initially confused Amy’s breast with her belly. After we corrected him, he gave her a hug then a kiss and told Lydia he loved her. We asked him to sing a song for her. He sang Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star (“The Good Night Show” version from PBS Sprout) perfectly.
I said Lydia is our little star. She is. She’s a beautiful star that will always shine bright in our hearts.
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