Cael’s Story
Cael’s story started while driving to hockey one day with our son Koda (age 5 at the time) saying to our daughter Callista (age 13 at the time) “I want a baby brother.” Callista Replied “You need to talk to mom and dad about that one.” We all laughed at the time and Brittany and I said we would think about it. Well no more than a week or so later on Saturday, October 26, 2013, we foun
d out Brittany was pregnant with our third child. We were shocked at first, but as is it processed we became very excited. At our first ultrasound, we found out we were having a boy. This made Koda very happy. We spent the next several months trying to pick out a name we all liked. We finally decided on Cael Charles. Charles is a family name on both sides and we just like the sound of Cael. Since both our previous children were c-sections we planned delivery on June 17th, 2014. On June 11th our world was turned upside down. During the final checkup, the doctor could not find Cael’s heartbeat. It was confirmed with an ultrasound Cael was dead. On June 12th, 2014 at 1:14pm Cael Charles Sigmundik was born into this world as an angel. Cael was born 7bls. 12oz., 20in. long, and otherwise a perfectly healthy baby. The cause of death was a torqued cord (also referred to as cord torsion), meaning the cord was wound like a phone cord until it kinked and cut off circulation. At the hospital, we were informed we would have to cremate or bury Cael. Having not planned for this situation we were not ready for the financial burden this would have on our family. Even with the discounts offered by the funeral home, choosing the cheapest options, and the urn we used is made by a friend we were still in the thousand-plus range. We felt devastated that we could not afford to honor our son in a way we wished we could due to the fact that we just could not afford it. Searching for aid made us very aware of the need for financial resources and support programs for bereaved families. We found out there is no insurance that will help with end-of-life expenses for stillbirths or babies that do not live more than 15 days. So in light of this, we decided to start a non-profit in Cael’s honor to help others in our situation. In July 2014 Cael’s Angels Association became a reality when we received our 501(c)3 status. We are able to honor Cael now by raising money to help others through donations and an annual motorcycle ride. Cael Charles Sigmundik
June 12, 2014. Cael's Angels Association is dedicated to helping families of stillbirths. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, we are able to raise funds for our programs and offer assistance for Funeral Expenses – Qualifying families can request financial support for the costs associated with burial/funeral expenses as funds are available. Autopsy Expenses – When insurance coverage does not include autopsy qualifying families can request financial support for the costs associated with the full evaluation of stillbirth as funds are available.. Understanding what happened is so important in the healing process for grieving families. Likewise, understanding what did not cause a baby’s death is very important in planning future pregnancies. Bereavement Support - Grief work is difficult and may require professional assistance. Qualifying families can request assistance with funds to allow them the mental health guidance they need in these difficult times as funds are available. Stillbirth Research - Until we understand better what causes stillbirth we cannot fully protect unborn babies. Funding for ongoing research is an important part of our mission. Cael's Angels Association is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. All donations to Cael's Angels Association are tax-deductible to the full extent of the law.
