After her grandson Oliver died hours after birth, local parishioner Laura Stewart wrote a book celebrating his short, meaningful life
TEMPERANCE — Whenever one of Laura Stewart’s four kids left the house, she always reminded them to be a light to the world.
Now, in her fourth and “most important” children’s picture book, Stewart hopes to be that light for others as she tells the true story of the short but significant life of her grandson in “Orchestra for Oliver.”
In 2019, Stewart’s oldest son, Cory, and his wife, Emily, were pregnant with their second child when they received a prenatal diagnosis that Oliver was missing a kidney, resulting in less amniotic fluid.
“(The doctors) pretty much said he would be incompatible with life once he was born, so my dear children, because of our beliefs and faith, they knew that they would carry him to term,” Stewart tearfully explained. “He was born in March 2020, and he was alive for about two hours.”
Inspired by their courage, Stewart turned to prayer and found inspiration to process her own grief by writing the story in honor of Oliver’s life and gifting it to their entire family.
The original is an intimate book intended only for the Stewart family, but Stewart also wrote another version, published by Pauline Books and Media, with a broader story for children, told from the perspective of a child. The book includes colorful and moving illustrations by Estelle Corke.
In the book, Oliver’s older sister, Camille, tells the story of his short life, from his time in utero until his brief sojourn on earth, as the family focuses on making memories in the short time they do have with him through trips and music.
While some aspects of the story were changed, the title was inspired by real life, Stewart said.
“I happened to go over one day to my son and daughter-in-law’s house, and I glanced at her calendar. It was about 8 months after Oliver had passed, and I had already been compiling some notes, and when I looked at her calendar, I saw that it was a year from when they went to the orchestra while she was pregnant with him, she had written, ‘one year, orchestra for Oliver,’” Stewart said. “I said, ‘Emily, that’s it right there. That’s the title of my story.’”
When the book was complete, Stewart gave it to Cory and Emily to read privately at home.
“My son Cory is a man of few words, so he just texted that night, ‘Mom, thank you,’” Stewart said.
Stewart read the book to her grandchildren, including 7-year-old Camille, who is Oliver’s real-life older sister and was just over a year old when he was born, but is now the age of the fictional Camille in the book.
“(My grandkids) had a lot of questions and were sort of working through this, because this was their brother and he is in heaven,” Stewart said.
Stewart said that as the family has continued to process their grief, her daughter-in-law, Emily, turned hers into an opportunity to help pregnant women in similar situations.
“She went on to get certified as a doula and then went one step further, and she is also a bereavement doula,” Stewart said. “She has been at other (similar) births, and she has a very beautiful way to relate to the moms. She’s so caring, and she sets it up for them to be in a beautiful, peaceful, faith-filled environment.”
Stewart also wants her book to provide support for families grieving the loss of a child.
Emily and Cory hope to participate in the book launch, which Stewart has planned to be a Sanctity of Life fundraiser at her parish, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Temperance, at 6 p.m. Friday, April 24. The event will include the first public reading of the book and a Q&A portion with Cory and Emily. Additionally, proceeds from the evening will be donated to Heartbeat of Monroe, Right to Life of Monroe and to the parish’s pregnancy resources.
Each person will take away something different from the story, Stewart said. For some, the loss is new, while others grieve losses from years ago. Included in the back of the book are prayers for unborn children, for families who experience the loss of a child, and some advice for how to keep the child’s memory alive, no matter where they are in the grief journey.
“I hope that it stimulates conversation about loss with parents and grandparents and that it helps parents work through a lot of the feelings that surround all of this,” Stewart said. “I pray that hearts will be healed, and those who are going through this or have gone through this will find comfort in God's peace. I also pray that the children who are reading the book will understand and carry the message that all life is sacred and matters to our Lord, even if they are short lives here on this side of heaven.”
"Orchestra For Oliver - Even the Shortest Lives are Special" ($24.95) will be available for purchase on April 17 on Amazon and Pauline Books & Media.
