Young Family

‘We felt robbed of an opportunity to give our little girl Sommer the life she deserved.’

Erika and Kris Young had surprisingly little trouble getting pregnant. Given their age and risk of birth complications, they conducted blood work and screening, and soon were thrilled to know they’d have a little girl who could grow to be strong, smart, and fierce. But as time went on, the due date came and passed with no signs of labor. At this point, an induction was scheduled to help the baby along. On August 24, 2022, they went to the hospital for a stress test to make sure the baby was OK and to wait for a room to deliver. Baby’s heart rate, movement, ultrasound, and mom all checked out fine.

The next day was time to deliver. It only took one pill to induce Erika into labor. With the contractions, though, came pain. Erika was struggling, but the reality and excitement of the moment was incredible—they were going to have a baby.

Then, things changed. The nurse and doctor had trouble tracking the baby's heartbeat. Erika was given a partial episiotomy (a cut incision made in the tissue between the vaginal lining during childbirth), pushed four times, and the baby was out.

Sommer Vivienne Young was born on Thursday, August 25, weighing 7 pounds, 3 ounces—and it was immediately clear that something was wrong. She was pale gray and limp. Kris recalls the distinct “thud” of the baby landing on Erika’s chest: “I had just a moment to look at her and to look Erika in the eyes before she was whisked away into the small baby bed monitoring station in the delivery room.”

A dozen or more medical personnel flooded into the room. Kris looked down at his wife, who with tears in her eyes said, “I hope our baby is OK, Kris, I hope she’s OK.” “That sound reel replays in my head often,” he says.

Sommer was only alive for an hour and fifty minutes. She never opened her eyes or took a breath on her own. “We brought Sommer back to our delivery room where we held and cuddled her for a few hours,” Kris says. “I tried my best to hold her, appreciate her, love her, and soak in those moments.”

According to the CDC, approximately 21,000 babies are stillborn every year in the US—that’s about 58 babies every day. And women who experience a stillbirth are also more likely to die after delivery, severe morbidity is nearly five times, and depression is two to four times more common than in women whose babies are born alive.

Sommer Vivienne Young is no longer with us, but with your help, her short life can make a big impact on families everywhere. “It’s a new reality that I live in now, knowing that I will always think about what could have been with our little Sommer girl and knowing it won’t be that way,” Kris says.

No parent should ever have to feel like this—and it’s up to all of us to improve maternal and infant health in this country. With your support, March of Dimes can continue funding research, education, advocacy, and programs to help all babies survive and thrive.