Things happen. Circumstances change. People die. Babies are born. These events are part and parcel of living. It can be so soul-enriching to assimilate these happenings into our being. And sometimes we have no choice.

My friend Meredith is a nurse midwife. I know she embraces the celebration each and every time she ushers a precious new life into the world. With a full and endearing heart, she gives all she has to make the birth experience unforgettable.

Sadly, the reality is that sometimes her position entails situations gone awry. In these tragic moments, her compassion leads the way; her exquisite empathy holds parents' crumbling hearts intact as she and they grieve together. Their 9-month dream of a promised, precious new life becomes their nightmare of a devastating death. Their much-awaited baby's cry is substituted by silence, followed by their own cries. These tragedies fall into the "heaven forbid" category. But where do these new souls go? And why aren't we born better equipped to deal with these tragedies? Unfortunately, neither Meredith nor anyone else has come up with that answer.

Don't we all wish that there were an all-encompassing, fail-proof coping mechanism inherent in our being?

Such is the Cycle of Life; the good and the bad, the happy, the sad. How do we find the delicate balance to work through the devastation of a horrific event? How do we channel our grief to move forward productively, versus propelling us into a life-long affliction? Many react by backsliding. This loss of our loved one leads to a secondary loss, the demise of our being. We exist "on hold"—until that day we breathe our last.

It is, however, possible to take grief in an entirely different direction and prevail in finding a way to change lives amid hopeless situations. Not only is this admirable, but it is the epitome of making a difference by showing others that healing can turn a tragedy into a blessing. Recently I read a story so riveting it inspired this blog.

A young expectant couple arrived at their 19-week ultrasound eager to see their forming fetus' beating heart and moving limbs and even learn their baby's gender. They were so excited to see that not only were they having a girl, but she was apparently healthy, with ten fingers, ten toes, and an angelic little face! They were overjoyed.

However, soon things took a drastic and unexpected turn. By the end of the ultrasound, both the technician and a radiologist confirmed that unbelievably their baby lacked an organ essential to survival outside of the womb: a brain. Their baby would likely survive the pregnancy in utero, but the absence of a brain ("anencephaly") renders life outside of the womb virtually impossible. This baby who was kicking, hiccupping, and freely moving in her momma's abdomen would likely pass away immediately after birth or within a few weeks.

Advised of their option to terminate this unsustainable life, after much research and soul-searching, they chose an option many could not fathom.

They asked their doctor if by carrying the pregnancy to term they could donate her organs to those desperately needing transplants. For this couple, the chance to find greater meaning in heartbreak made their decision much easier. Not only was the option of organ donation entirely possible, but turning their tragedy into such a triumph was also the bravest, most unselfish response anyone could ever have expected.

Herein lies the irony of this story; for one family praying for a miracle for their baby, another's baby must first die.

This couple decided to name their baby "Eva," which means "giver of life." Eva can and will hopefully be that miraculous gift. Many people live into their ninth decade and never make such a profound difference in their entire lifetime. This sweet giver of life was heaven sent and soon heaven bound. But in between those two events comes something so much greater; giving all she can.