We were expecting a miracle.  We wanted her babies to live, grow up and be healthy.

She was one of our own.

We were mad at her doctors. We were mad at the hospital.

We cried often. We forgave.

We watched and shared videos of babies who had defied the odds among each other.

We hoped Diana’s babies would make it, all because Diana decided to take a chance.

When you take a chance, you open the door for the possibility of defying the odds and for it going in your direction. It could have happened.

Diana Stone is a friend I had met at the BlogHer conference last year in San Diego.  She was probably one of the most bubbliest people I met there.  And without doubt, very genuine. When introducing people, she would always have lovely things to say and would go above and beyond.  I can vividly see her eyes light up when she introduced me to a friend when she was coming out of a yoga class, with her yoga mat tossed over her shoulder.

After our full day of a Pathfinder session together on “Your Blog as Change Agent”, we kept in touch, and she became a World Moms Blog contributor.  Her story of keeping her children alive hit home more than ever because she was also one of our own.

Diana went against doctors orders to induce after her water had broken, while she was carrying her 18-week old identical twin sons.  She read a comment on her blog, did some quick online research and that is what led her to change her mind and give her sons a chance. Her battle was not smooth sailing.

I learned so much about the world from Diana’s experience and how she handled it.  Something I never really thought about.

If we do not leave ourselves open to the chance that a miracle, something that defies the odds, may occur, then miracles will never happen.  But, if we keep those doors open and keep hoping, we have provided a place where they can happen.

What is important is that Diana gave her babies that chance and modeled that hopeful behavior.

There will be mothers in similar situations in the future that will have known her story and now know that they can give waiting it out a try if their water breaks earlier than expected.  That their babies have a chance, no matter how small, at continuing to grow and surviving.

I believe in my heart that there will be children who haven’t arrived yet that may just owe their life to their parents’ knowing Diana’s story.  Or people who will open themselves up for something great when the chances are small and have it go in their favor. And, that is the amazing legacy of two boys who lived for a mere 19 weeks and 4 days. A legacy they owe to their brave parents.

Their lives were so short, but what they have given this world is still growing and has yet to blossom. In the darkness of their lights burning out has emerged the possibility of so many future lights on earth.

In loving memory of  Preston & Julian Stone. May 3, 2012.

Diana, we love you and our hearts are with you. I wish I could be there to hug you right now.

— Jen Burden

To send Diana support, please go to her blog, Hormonal Balances.  Please, really go there. Thank you.  Comments are closed here. 

Jennifer Burden

Jennifer Burden is the Founder and CEO of World Moms Network, an award winning website on global motherhood, culture, human rights and social good. World Moms Network writes from over 30 countries, has over 70 contributors and was listed by Forbes as one of the “Best 100 Websites for Women”, named a “must read” by The New York Times, and was recommended by The Times of India. She was also invited to Uganda to view UNICEF’s family health programs with Shot@Life and was previously named a “Global Influencer Fellow” and “Social Media Fellow” by the UN Foundation. Jennifer was invited to the White House twice, including as a nominated "Changemaker" for the State of the World Women Summit. She also participated in the One Campaign’s first AYA Summit on the topic of women and girl empowerment and organized and spoke on an international panel at the World Bank in Washington, DC on the importance of a universal education for all girls. Her writing has been featured by Baby Center, Huffington Post, ONE.org, the UN Foundation’s Shot@Life, and The Gates Foundation’s “Impatient Optimists.” She is currently a candidate in Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs in the Executive Masters of Public Affairs program, where she hopes to further her study of global policies affecting women and girls. Jennifer can be found on Twitter @JenniferBurden.

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