Footage of the Ring Doorbell posted to TikTok captures two emotional moments in one family’s life.
The footage captured the greatest joys and deepest sorrows that Jessie and Nate, both 32, experienced during their journey as parents to their stillborn baby, Matthew. They wrote in the video’s caption, “We watch this footage often. We are so grateful that these moments were captured.”
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On Dec. 23, two days after Matthew’s due date, the Naples, Florida, couple asked Jessie’s sister and brother-in-law to be their child’s godparents, and the couple felt “honored” to be chosen, Jessie said. Newsweek.
In the first part of the TikTok video, Jessie’s sister is seen leaving the house while singing “Godparents!” Her husband points to the doormat and says, “There must have been good vibes inside.”
The second part, filmed weeks later, showed a very different scene: Matthew’s godparents carrying the urn as they returned to the house.
Jessie’s waters broke on Christmas Eve, but what should have been the happiest moment of the expectant parents’ lives turned into a nightmare.
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Hospital staff could not find Matthew’s heartbeat and an ultrasound confirmed he had died.
“Our world came crashing down as we struggled with the unimaginable loss, while I was still in labor,” said Jessie.
After 24 hours, Matthew Roger was born at 8:48am on Christmas Day.
“He was perfect in every way: ten fingers, ten toes and a head full of thick, curly brown hair,” Nate said.
“His 9-pound, 5-ounce frame and 22.5-inch height embodied his rugged presence, [but] “Despite his perfection, he didn’t breathe,” he continued.
The couple spent Christmas Day cherishing precious moments with their baby, who was dressed in a white satin dress and a knitted white hat.
Family members, including grandparents, aunts and uncles, gathered around Jessie and Nate to mourn the loss of Matthew.
“We sang to him, held him and kissed his little fingers and forehead,” Jessie said.
She continued, “Nate and I said one last prayer for him before we said goodbye to him as he was being prepared for the funeral home.
“Our nurse compassionately covered his crib with a clean, white sheet and wheeled him away. This marked the most difficult moment of our lives.”
Jessie and Nate’s TikTok video has been viewed more than 4 million times and hundreds of users have left comments sharing their grief.
“You have my thoughts,” wrote one user who said she lost her baby at 20 weeks pregnant.
“The way she hugged him [urn] “They were absolutely the right two to be godparents,” said another.
Other users noticed that the “Good Vibes” doormat was missing from the second half of the video, and Jessie noted in the comments that she asked Nate to throw the doormat away when they got home.
“Our family and community rallied around us by organizing a GoFundMe, a meal train, and offering heartfelt support,” the couple said. Newsweek.
“We held a moving memorial service attended by nearly 300 people [and] Matthew’s godparents were given the task of [him] “He will bring him home in his sweet little urn after the service,” they continued.
Jessie and Nate said sharing their grief made them realize how important it is to talk openly about stillbirth. They have since created Matty’s Corner, a special space in their backyard with a royal palm tree and a bench where they can find solace in the memory of their son.
The couple also founded a stillbirth support group of the same name.
Matty’s Corner “provides comfort to parents who have experienced a devastating loss of their child through stillbirth. It is a place of refuge where they can come together, grieve and openly share memories of their babies,” Nate said.
The couple’s doorbell camera captured the love and loss. As they look back on their journey, they cherish the people who were there to support them.
They said: “Their presence provided comfort in our darkest days and reminded us that Matthew Roger’s short life left an undeniable impression on all who knew him and that one day we will see him again with our Heavenly Father.
“As we navigate our lives without Matthew, we find strength in preserving his legacy and advocating for greater awareness and support for families dealing with stillbirth.”
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.