Emily Bectel

There are times when life seems so unfair times where there are no answers and only questions left resounding in the depths of ones soul. Questions such as why some parents have to say goodbye to their children before they ever get to say hello, as in the case of Jeremy and Stephanie Bectel, will forever remain unanswered. Little Emily Lynn Bectel was a precious angel born in heaven rather than on earth, yet both her life and her death profoundly affected so many here on this side of eternity. A true gift in the purest form, Emily has been made perfect and will continue to live on in the hearts of those who treasured her. Emilys story really begins as a love story between the parents to whom she was given. Stephanie Moran and Jeremy Bectel both of Muskegon, Michigan, met as teenagers and seemed to be soul mates from the very beginning. After graduating from Reeths Puffer High School in Muskegon, Stephanie headed to Northern Michigan University in the Upper Peninsula while Jeremy remained in Muskegon and worked in local factories. Although they were separated by hundreds of miles, the couple continued their relationship while their hearts grew more deeply interwoven together. After graduating from college, Stephanie returned to the area and the couple was married in August of 2006 after seven years of dating. It was a joyous occasion not only for Stephanie and Jeremy, but for their families as well. Stephanie secured employment at Howmet in Whitehall while Jeremy worked with his brother and cousin at Scherdel Sales and Technology. The newlyweds settled into a house on Southern Avenue in Muskegon and not long after, they were blessed with the birth of their son, Cayden. When Cayden was around one 1/2 years of age, Stephanie and Jeremy were thrilled to share the exciting news with their families that they were expecting again in the fall of 2010. Everyone was so excited and eagerly anticipated the blessing of another baby to love. Initially, everything was routine with the pregnancy as checkups and an ultrasound looked good. After returning from a well deserved vacation in May, Stephanie and Jeremy went in for an ultrasound to find out the sex of their baby, but this visit soon revealed much more. The doctors informed the expectant couple that the baby had a herniated diaphragm that caused the heart to push to the left side, but the bad news didnt end there. The baby also had cysts on their brain and a condition called Trisomy 18, which caused their hands to be deformed and clenched. Understandably so, the news devastated Stephanie and Jeremy - all the dreams of their family of three growing to a family of four shattered in one brief instant. The news that their baby was a girl was a bit bittersweet for the couple. They named her Emily Lynn and their focus quickly shifted to holding on to the hope that their baby girl could be born so that they could meet her, if only for a few minutes. Although the doctors gave Stephanie and Jeremy little hope of this dream becoming a reality, they remained vigilant. As friends and family learned of their situation, Stephanie and Jeremy were quickly covered by a blanket of support that sustained them throughout the months that followed. Life was forever changed for Stephanie, Jeremy, and their families in August after Stephanie realized that she no longer felt her daughter moving in her womb. On August 12, 2010, they entered the Mercy Birthing Center in Muskegon where they induced labor. Stephanie and Jeremy were surrounded by their family and friends as their precious Emily Lynn was born stillborn that day. They all got to hold Emily and take pictures so that there would be something tangible to remember the little girl who was so dearly loved. Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy, especially when that someone is a sweet and innocent baby. Emily Lynn Bectel was deeply loved for all that she was even though the hope of what she could one day be was quickly squelched after what should have been a routine doctors visit. A true gift to those around her, Emily will remain forever engraved upon the hearts of all she touched during such a short period of time. Although the lives of Emilys family are cloaked in sadness, they find comfort in knowing that she has been made prefect in her eternal home. Emily Lynn Bectel was born in heaven on August 12, 2010. Emilys family includes her parents, Jeremy (Stephanie) Bectel; brother, Cayden; grandparents, Larry (Teri) Bectel, Ron (Linda) Moran; several great-grandparents; as well as many aunts, uncles and cousins. Services will be held on Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 4:00 p.m. at Clock Chapel Life Story Funeral Homes Muskegon location Muskegon, MI with Rev. Craig Cramblet officiating. Please visit www.lifestroynet.com where you can leave a memory, sign the online guestbook, or make a memorial contribution to the Trisomy 18 Foundation.