2020 Team 7 - Team Aubrey
October 1, 2015 was the day before Aubrey’s due date. I still vividly remember watching Grey’s Anatomy while being entertained by my belly, shifting side to side and thinking, “we’re going to have another baby any day now”. Only a few hours later, my contractions had started but were approximately 10 minutes apart and made the decision to labour at home for a bit. After catching only a bit of sleep, we woke, sent our oldest daughter off to school and began preparing for our next move. It was at that time that I realized that I hadn’t felt the baby move since waking however I had assumed she was sleeping because we were up most of the night with contractions. I ate and drank something sweet but still couldn’t stir her. We quickly gathered our things and proceeded to the hospital with the full intention of delivering the baby that day, since contractions were still happening and it was my DUE DATE! When we arrived at the hospital, Labour and Delivery triage were unable to locate a fetal heartbeat using the doppler.
Seconds felt like hours!
Panic was starting to fill the room.
There was a mobile ultrasound unit in the room but that too was unable to detect a heartbeat. We were then moved to a private room and an Ultrasound unit was requested from Radiology, somehow giving just a glimmer of hope that maybe with the better unit they would be able to detect something. However, once that ultrasound was performed, it was confirmed that the baby had died. At that time, there was no known reason, but it was assumed it was an umbilical cord accident. After over 30 hours of a very painful labour (epidurals did not work) and a very traumatic delivery, Aubrey Emmerson Twyne was born still, October 3, 2015. She passed during early labour as the result the umbilical cord being wrapped around her torso and around an ankle. She was 8 lbs 11 oz and by all accounts, a beautiful and perfect baby girl except she wasn’t breathing.
In the last 4 years we have met some incredible families. These families have also suffered heartbreaking loss and do so much to honour their own child and those of others. This year, Amy and Chris have incorporated some of those babies & children into Hockey for Grace by affectionately naming all teams after little lives lost. To have Aubrey honoured in Grace's tournament is such a touching tribute and we are beyond grateful.
Our many thanks to Amy & Chris for such thoughtfulness and to all those who support Hockey for Grace in previous years, this year and for many, many years to come.
Thank you!!
Sincerely, Stacy & Scott Twyne