How do you prepare for that?

 

  I don't really know how you can prepare yourself for a funeral and the gauntlet of emotions that come along with it. Especially a funeral for a newborn child. A baby who wasn't even an entire day old. A little girl who never really had a fighting chance. It was the smallest casket I had ever seen. But it wasn't that aspect of it that I thought I would have to brace myself for, it was the parents. It was Lindsey and Cal. A husband and a wife who got to be parents for a fleeting moment. And then she was taken away. How do you prepare for that? 

 I took a deep breath as Cal, the husband and the dad, got up to speak. I was sure the moment the first word escaped his mouth he would crumble. He would cry. He would be angry. He would be confused. He would question everything he ever knew.  I was sure of that because I imagine that is what I would do after losing a child. 

 And everything Cal said had me in tears. But...they were NOT sad tears. I was so moved by him and by his wife. I was so inspired by these two people that were surely suffering. Suffering so bad that it had to hurt physically. But in that pain Cal asked us all to not be sad for them. He explained what a beautiful blessing his daughter was. Even in her short life. Even as she grew inside Lindsey's belly, this little girl had changed the world. This little girl, whom they named Kenzley, brought them closer to one another. She brought them closer to family. She brought them closer to God. She was working miracles before she even got here and she continues to do that even in death. Cal and Lindsey have never been so close to God as they are now in their life. When most people would blame God , they are praising Him. There was never a why me? Or why us? Or just a little more time, please? Only praise to Him and to his wife. And how he has never known a woman so strong. 

How do you prepare for that?

I suppose you don't. And please know I am not trying to offend anyone who handles death differently. I handle death differently. We all do I think. But I would be making light of it if I didn't tell you that I wasn't inspired by those two. If I didn't tell you that I felt God's presence in that room that day. I could hear Him through Cal as he spoke. Even the minister said he learned something from Cal and Lindsey that day. We all did.

"Kenzley Anne died from autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD), which is a genetic disorder that causes fluid-filled cysts to grow in the kidneys. The cysts replace a lot of the mass of the kidneys, reducing kidney function and leading to failure. Kenzley Anne's kidneys had many cysts and were enlarged. At the time of her birth, she weighed 10 pounds, two ounces." - Southlake Times Star Newspaper, Heather M. Goodwin

Follow this link to learn more about it.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polycystic_kidney_disease

Also, here is a link the Southlake Times Star Newspaper did with Lindsey and Cal on Kenzley's story. Please take the time to read this. 

  My Plea to YOU: 

The hospital that took such good care of Lindsey for so many months is sponsoring a 1 mile walk to raise awareness about this disease. It's in Southlake. It's free. It's family friendly. You can bring your kids in strollers or they can walk with you. It's a way to show a family support. To say to them, "I can't imagine going through what you did - but we are here for you. For your daughter. For all the other people that have to go through this pain. If it's the least we can do - We are here." Just show up. I know it would mean the world to me to have my friends and family there but more than that, just people. Friends of friends. Friends of Family. Just people. Because that is how we SHOW love. We SHOW up. Inconvenience or not. We SHOW up. 

You can follow the directions to register for the walk below. (posted by Kenzley's parents) If you have any questions let me know. The walk is free but donations are welcome and appreciated. They have already raised close to $4,500! That is amazing!!!!!!

 

 Hi guys. This is the info for the 5k walk to raise money for APKD. This is the disease that killed our beautiful angel Kenzley, and so many others. It is sponsored by the amazing hospital that took care of us medical city children's hospital. They are also recognizing and doing a special in memory of Jace Glenn. The amazing little boy that fought hard for three years to beat this horrible disease. Please keep there family in your prayers, they just lost him. He was the most incredible child, and touched our lives. They are very special people.

http://walkforpkd.org/
Scroll to the bottom and select Join a Team

Choose Dallas/ ft. Worth
Join, click Join
Hit I agree
Click join team
Select team Kenzley Graves
Feel out all personal info and just follow instructions from there.

Thank u all for your support. It really means a lot to us. 
You can make donations or join us. Hope to see you there. 
Please pass on to your friends and families. We would love to have you.