Theodore Nicholas and Holden Benjamin should be turning 3 this October 6th. Born in Cincinnati, OH on October 6th, 2016, Theodore lived for a brief 30 minutes, and his younger identical twin brother, Holden, was stillborn. The boys were afflicted with Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome and born prematurely. We miss them every single minute of every single day.
As we prepare for their birthday, we've been thinking a lot about how we can do something good in their name. One of the few comforts we have is sharing the memory of them with others who understand our grief. When we visited Faith's Lodge in July of 2018, we both remarked how we hadn't felt so at peace and so taken care of since that October morning when we had to say goodbye to them forever. Faith's Lodge is a retreat center in Northern Wisconsin exclusively for parents that have lost a child. Upon arriving, we placed a picture of our twins on the memorial table, where it sat along with the memorials for ten other babies and a candle for the 5 days that we were there. Everyone cried upon leaving; it had been so wonderful and peaceful to be in a place where we could freely talk about our children, as well as laugh and make friends. Your first stay at Faith's Lodge is discounted and the funding of this beautiful retreat is mostly through donations.
Please consider donating to our campain for Faith's Lodge. Would you have spent ten or fifteen dollars on a toy for one of them had they been with us to celebrate their birthday? Were you planning on buying a toy for Hugo, the twins' little brother, for his first birthday on October 16th? Your gift to Faith's Lodge would mean a retreat of peace and relaxation, as well as counseling programming and community support, to a family that has gone through the worst thing in the world - saying goodbye to one of their children.
We hope to raise $2,500, enough to have a memorial bench on the Faith's Lodge grounds with Holden and Theodore's names on it. The thought of a family spending their first stay at Faith's Lodge and watching the lake or the gardens while sitting on a bench sponsored by the memory of our children, fills us with peace. We hope to be able to visit there again and share this wonderful place with our living children, and show them the good works that their brothers have brought.
| Supporters | |||
| Name | Date | Amount | Comments |
| Nick Berigan | 10/07/2019 | $30.00 | Your description of this in-the-woods setting for coming to terms with this grief seems so apt how could I not donate... | Erin Walsh | 10/07/2019 | $35.00 | Auntie Liz and Uncle Adam Holden and Stanley | 10/06/2019 | $34.00 | Ellen & Steve Siglinsky | 10/06/2019 | $50.00 | Happy birthday, Holden & Theodore! Love, Ellen & Steve | Anonymous Friend | 10/05/2019 | $25.00 | Sarah Carr | 10/05/2019 | $25.00 | In loving memory of Theodore and Holden | Katie Travis-Buss | 10/04/2019 | $50.00 | In memory of baby Holden and baby Theodore. Love you Helen & Zach! | Pamela Walker | 10/04/2019 | $20.00 | Micki Naal | 10/04/2019 | $20.00 | In memory of two angels. | Sofia Pufahl | 10/03/2019 | $15.00 | Anonymous Friend | 10/03/2019 | $50.00 | Debbie & Jeff Watzlawick | 10/03/2019 | $25.00 | Thinking of you and your family. Remembering your little angels. Love you! | Nicole Schemmel | 10/03/2019 | $50.00 | Love to you, Helen and Zach. | Kathleen Rickerson | 10/18/2018 | $21.00 | In loving memory of Holden Benjamin Werner, who will forever be in my heart. | Kathleen Rickerson | 10/18/2018 | $20.00 | In loving memory of Theodore Nicholas Werner, who will forever be in my heart. | Auntie Liz and Uncle Adam Holden and Stanley | 10/12/2018 | $50.00 | Neil and Sandy Cass | 10/06/2018 | $100.00 | Happy Birthday..... | Ellen & Steve Siglinsky | 10/06/2018 | $25.00 | Happy Birthday, sweet Theodore and Holden! We think about you and your family often, we will celebrate you today! So much love, auntie Ellen & uncle Steve | Melanie Cain | 10/05/2018 | $50.00 | T+H: I see you two regularly in the strength your family shows. We can’t belive it’s been two years. You are so loved. -Cains | Holly Slota | 10/04/2018 | $15.00 | Theodore and Holden’s lights will always shine brightly through you. What wonderful parents you are. | Cynthia Moran | 10/03/2018 | $75.00 | We love you Teddy and Holden, so much. We will meet you in person some day in heaven. And have birthday cake of course ❤️ | William Holden | 10/03/2018 | $75.00 | Happy birthday to Hugo and happy birthday to Teddy and Holden. More to come for a great project with the goal of peace in the heart through action for and awareness of gratitude, acceptance and love. | Pamela Walker | 10/02/2018 | $25.00 | A small token of my love for all who have endured such tragedies. | Jill Postma | 10/02/2018 | $30.00 | Sue Mazur | 10/02/2018 | $25.00 | Wishing you peace. | Sandra Dyrek | 10/02/2018 | $50.00 | Mary Telfer | 10/02/2018 | $50.00 | Debbie & Jeff Watzlawick | 10/01/2018 | $25.00 | With love, remembering your two precious boys |
| Total | $1,065.00 | ||
