Hello! I’m McKall Gibson, the current Service Chair with Share Parents of Utah. I’m uncertain about the circumstances leading you to our page, but whatever they may be, please know that we’re here to support you in any and every way possible.
My journey with Share began in 2021 following the loss of our second child, our first daughter, Allie. For a long time, my husband, Anthony, and I contemplated having another child after our first. We aimed to be in the best place financially and emotionally before welcoming another child into our lives. After therapy and some job changes, we decided it was finally time.
Our little girl, Allie, was always very calm, making it difficult for me to get the kick counts needed to ease my anxiety. As a result, I found myself a few times at labor and delivery checking up on her. They always checked and reassured me that she was fine. The last appointment I went to was at 35 weeks. They measured my stomach, mentioned she was measuring ahead, asked if I had any issues, and sent me on my way.
About a week later, I experienced what looked like the doctor’s call “the bloody show,” a sign of labor. At 36 weeks, I didn’t think much of it, assuming it was normal. I let it go without calling, and it stopped. That Friday, it started again, so I called about low movement and the mucusy blood. They recommended I come in to be checked. Anthony had just walked in the door in time to take our older son to his baseball game. I told them both I’m going to run “really fast” down to L&D to check on sister, and then I will meet you at your game. Little did I know that once I arrived, I would be staying.
They put the monitors on me, and I can still remember the nurse saying, “you can’t feel all this movement?” to which I was stunned and said no, feeling a sense of relief and a bit of embarrassment for troubling them. Another nurse came in with the heart monitor, and she was having difficulty “keeping her heartbeat.” After a third nurse arrived trying to find her heartbeat, the doctor came in with an ultrasound machine to deliver the world-stopping news of “There is no longer a heartbeat.”
Thinking this was a huge mistake, the nurse had just told me there was movement! My world came crashing down. I had to tell my poor husband at our son’s baseball game and beg him to stay and let him finish the game while we waited for family to take him home. An hour or so later, Anthony joined me at the hospital to wait for the delivery of our daughter.
At midnight, they induced me, and by 10:02 AM, our beautiful, 3-pound 11-ounce, 18-inch baby girl, Allie Mae Gibson, was born. A few hours after having our Allie, we were introduced to the sweetest soul, Julie. Julie was our Share Companion who came to speak to us about our rights, provide us with support, and create mementos that we will forever cherish.
