Heard about Angels of Hope?

By NATHANIEL WOODWARD

    Those who know me know I enjoy talking about my kids, and why wouldn’t I?
    They rock.             Everyday I’m dumbstruck at how awesome they are, they are infinitely more intelligent, curious, empathetic, understanding and genuinely crazy than I could ever hope to be and the world is much better off for it.         But those who know me really well know about my son who left this life far, far too soon.
    His name is Jonathan, he is blonde, has his mother’s nose, one extra special twenty-first chromosome and changed my life more than anyone ever will.
    But Jonny doesn’t get to be here, and for whatever reason, I can’t change that, but there is something that can be done and not just for him but for all the little ones who were taken from their parents long before their time.
    In recent years there has been a growing movement of people in my situation who have banded together to raise funds to erect statues honoring these little ones taken from us.
    They are called “Angel of Hope” statues and they are popping up in communities all across the country. The nearest one just went up down in Richfield and is now providing comfort and healing to the parents and families of angel babies in that small community.
    I was recently made aware of an effort in Carbon and Emery counties to raise enough funds to erect one such Angel of Hope statue in our little community.
    When I heard about it I was immediately on board, and so should everyone who reads this article.
    These statues cost a lot of money and only with the support of the whole community will this effort be possible.         To learn more I visited the Facebook page some local parents had created and was directed to call a lovely woman named Jo’Anne Smith who is one of the amazing people spearheading this project.
    Jo’Anne told me this movement is inspired by a book written by “Christmas Box” writer Richard Paul Evans and has inspired dozens of similar efforts all across the country, including a few in Utah.
    While I have never read any of his books, I’m told they are quite good and a great source of inspiration. If what he wrote led to this then I wholeheartedly agree. So, if the loss of a child, sibling or friend has affected you and you want to get involved to get a Angel of Hope in our community then hop onto Facebook and look up the Angel of Hope for Carbon and Emery Counties group.