LEXINGTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — Lyndze Smoot lost her son, Grayson, nearly two years ago at UK Children's Hospital. Now, she is turning that grief into a mission to help other mothers who are mourning the loss of a newborn.
Smoot said the road to Grayson was already filled with heartbreak.
"We've lost four babies but we had finally got to Grayson, and he had made it to about almost 20 weeks."
When Grayson was born prematurely, Smoot said one of the only things that brought her comfort was her nurse, Amanda. Amanda washed and braided Smoot's hair and, when there was no hair bow to be found, gave Smoot the one from her own head.
"That moment changed everything for me," she said.
That act of kindness became the foundation for Grayson's Promise, an organization that delivers bags to hospitals filled with simple items grieving mothers may need but likely did not pack — things like migraine caps and journals.
"She treated me like a human and not like a glass that was getting ready to break."
Smoot said she recognized she could offer that same sense of humanity to others. The bags also include personalized notes, and for the first year following a loss, mothers can apply to a program through which Smoot sends handwritten letters every month.
"There's a before the loss and there's an after the loss," Smoot added.
Sarah Smith, bereavement coordinator at UK Children's Hospital, said she noticed the impact of Grayson's Promise immediately.
"What really impressed me was how much she cared about making sure that what she provided was what we needed here," Smith said.
Smith noticed how the small gestures at the heart of the organization carry a powerful message.
"Those small things are the things that really convey that message that we see you."
For Smoot, the work is both a tribute to her son and a promise she made to him.
"It's important to know for moms that it gets better and that it's not always gonna be that hard and somebody else has survived it."
To find out more information about Grayson's Promise or to donate, click here.
