Shyla's Life Celebration Invitation

Dear Family and Friends,


We can’t believe how quickly a year has gone by. Just one short year ago our lives were changed forever. Sometime during the last week of August, our sweet Shyla Joy quietly drifted from the comfort of her mother’s womb to the comfort of the Father’s arms. We take comfort in knowing she never knew pain, heartache or tears on this earth and will be waiting for us when we make it to Heaven. What a glorious day that will be when we are all reunited!

August 31, 2009, is when we learned her heart had stopped beating and on September 2, we were blessed to be able to hold our girl. From that moment we knew that eventhough her life had ended on this earth, her legacy was just beginning. I don’t think we really knew what that meant at that time, but so many things have happened because of her life. But God has been faithful and He has truly used what was meant to harm us and turned it into a blessing.

We knew from the moment that everything became reality that God was going to make beauty from these ashes and her life was going to make a difference in others. We have really been struggling with how to best acknowledge what God has done and remember her on her 1st birthday. We thought about having something for just the family or just spending the day at home. I’ll be honest, at times, I think I might just want to spend the day at home alone. BUT…I know that is not what I feel God has called for her life to be. We have decided to celebrate her life and all the many things that have happened since she graced Heaven. We would like to share with everyone who means so much to us things that remind us of her. Her scrapbook, her footprints, the articles that have been printed in the newspaper about her and her time as the March of Dimes Ambassador, her Christmas stocking stuffed with random acts of kindness done in her memory, one of the care packages we deliver to the hospital and so many more things.

Please drop by the HELP Pregnancy Care Center in Monticello sometime between 6:30 and 8:00 PM to share in her memory and legacy. You don’t have to stay long, but we would really love to share her with you all.

On Shyla’s first birthday, we would like for you to take a moment to remember her and all that has occurred because she lived.

Also, if you feel like you would like to contribute to her legacy, please feel free to bring any of the following items to be included in the care packages that we will continue to deliver to the hospital.

• Small Packages of Kleenex

• Large Ace Bandages

• Nursing Pads

• Disposable Cameras

• Small Stuffed Animal

• Blank CD’s and cases

• White Votive Candles

• Journals

• I’ll Hold You In Heaven by Jack Hayford

• A Guide for Fathers: When a Baby Dies by Tim Nelson

• A small pendant or charm saying “hope” or “love” or a butterfly or a heart. Something the mother can wear in memory of her baby is always appreciated. (The remembrance Heart charms can be found at most Christian book stores. These are a heart with a tear cut from the center of it).

• Foot and Handprint Impression Kits

There are more things in the basket, but they are handmade or aren’t as easy to find. Any help with these care packages is much appreciated by us and by the family that recieves it. Something else the hospital is always searching for is preemie sleepers or doll clothing that would fit a baby too small for preemie clothes. Also, handmade preemie (or smaller) hats and blankies are always needed.

Please don’t feel obligated to provide any of the above things and please don’t feel like you can’t come without bringing something. I just knew that some of our friends and family were looking for ways to remember her on her birthday and do something in her memory, so we wanted to provide this list.

Thank you all for your love and support through the past year and in the years to come.

In God’s never ending love,

The Wells Family



Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves have received from God. For just as the sufferings of Christ flow over into our lives, so also through Christ our comfort overflows.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4