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Grieving Mother of Stillborn Pays for 1st Birthday Cake for Stranger at Grocery Store

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C.S. Lewis wrote, “If a mother is mourning not for what she has lost but for what her dead child has lost, it is a comfort to believe that the child has not lost the end for which it was created.”

The quote from the author’s “A Grief Observed” is certainly profound. It’s one thing to say it, to read it, but it’s a different thing entirely to witness it be put into action.

Lewis’ words could describe a mother from Florida perfectly. In 2017, the anonymous mother lost her son. He was stillborn and would have celebrated his first birthday this month.

 

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Though grieving over what her son had lost, the mother didn’t allow her grief to stop her from honoring him by giving what he would have had to a stranger.

Nick DeClemente works in the bakery at a Publix grocery store in Jacksonville. According to DeClemente’s Facebook post from Oct. 10, the mother came in asking if there were any first birthday cakes on order.

A father himself, DeClemente was a bit baffled by the request. He says the woman explained it didn’t matter which cake she paid for, she only wanted to pay for any first birthday cake anonymously.

The reason is inspiring and heartbreaking at once. “She then started to tear up and tell me that she had a stillborn child a year ago and in tribute to him she wanted to pay for someone else’s cake,” DeClemente wrote.

“It was probably one of the most touching things I’ve seen in all my years working in retail,” DeClemente continued in his post. “I hope that this lady finds peace through this tribute and that the customer recieving (sic) this gift will, if nothing else, pay it forward.”

The quarter sheet cake she purchased had a Sesame Street theme. The order form said to write, “Happy 1st Birthday King David” on the buttercream frosting.

The cake sold for $32.99. Not a high cost, but priceless at the same time. Words can’t express what this mother must have felt as she walked away.

I hope whoever picked up the cake was touched by the grieving mother’s kind gesture. If it had been me, I would have wanted to thank her and give her a hug.

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“I was a little lost for words just because of how in awe I was of the moment,” DeClemente shared in an interview with Fox News.

To all the parents out there who have lost a child, our hearts and thoughts are with you. We hope you will take comfort in this sweet mama’s story and know you are not alone.

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Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.
Sarah Carri is an avid reader and social media guru with a passion for truth and life. Her writing has previously been published in print and online by Focus on the Family and other well known media outlets. Her experience in ministry and Disney entertainment gives her a unique perspective on such topics.

Sarah's experience as a successful working stay-at-home mom and business owner has given her the chance to write and research often. She stays up to date on the latest in entertainment and offers her views on celebrity stories based on her wide knowledge of the industry. Her success as a former preschool teacher and licensed daycare provider lend to her know-how on topics relating to parenting and childhood education.

Her thoughts on faith and family issues stem from home life and ministry work. Sarah takes time to attend workshops and classes annually that help her to improve and hone her writing craft. She is a graduate of the Institute of Children's Literature program and her writing has been acclaimed by ACFW and ECPA.
Education
Institute of Children's Literature, Art Institute of Phoenix (Advertising), University of California Irvine (Theater), Snow College (Early Childhood Education)
Location
Arizona
Languages Spoken
English
Topics of Expertise
Entertainment, Faith




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