Precious friends and family… I don’t think there are words for what my sister Morgan, her husband Caleb and their precious little ones are walking through right now, but I will do my best to articulate it in a way that is honoring to them and their grief during this time.

Heartbreakingly, on Saturday July 4th, after a long labor, Morgan developed unexpected and unforeseen complications bringing a beautiful baby boy, Valor Abel, into the world. Due to the complications Morgan experienced, Valor suffered a birth injury his sweet little body was unable to recover from. After some time working with doctors and through prayer and infinite trust in Jesus… Morgan and Caleb had to make the hardest decision I think anyone could ever face. They released Valor Abel into the arms of Jesus.

Before going any further, I’d like to share how Jesus went before this precious little one. Morgan and Caleb are deeply intentional in prayer and trust in the heart of God for each of their children, including their names. Many months ago, the Lord gave them the name Valor Abel for a little boy. I’d like to tell you what it means.

Valor: great courage, bravery, or determination, especially in the face of danger or during battle.

Abel: the biblical usage is a vapor, a breath… a whisper. It is often used to as a gentle breeze or as the breath of the mouth.

The Lord going before Valor as He called him into being, and giving Morgan and Caleb this very specific and powerful name, has left us shaken and in awe.

Morgan fought courageously bringing Valor into this world, and Valor was courageous and mighty from the moment he entered the world, and as a whisper, entered into the arms of the one who loves him infinitely more than we could ever imagine. Morgan suffered life threatening complications, and had she not been in the hospital with her sweet Valor, their family may have been facing something that much more tragic. We truly see and stand in awe of God’s goodness and faithfulness, even amongst the grief and heartbreak.

Valor’s precious life, and Morgan and Caleb’s absolute trust in God’s sovereignty and goodness despite walking through one of the deepest places of pain parents could ever walk through, has been profoundly impactful on everyone around them, including their doctors and nurses.

Morgan, Caleb and their precious little ones need our love and support as they walk in this place of grief. As I’m sure you can imagine, no one anticipates this kind of loss and they were not prepared for the decisions and plans they would need to make concerning memorializing Valor. Many of you have asked how you can give, love or serve their hearts during this time and we would really love to ease the burden of their financial needs (hospital bills, time off of work, counseling, and other practical needs) and especially how they’ll pay for Valor’s memorial service and all that will come with it. We’d also really like to ensure that Caleb is able to take a needed and appropriate amount of time to be with his family, as he is their sole provider. He has only been at his job for a short period of time and, from my understanding, has not accrued leave.

If you feel led to contribute in any way to these needs, I know they will be abundantly grateful. Funds will be used towards Valor’s memorial service, practical needs for their family, and the ability for Caleb to have time with his family. Give Send Go does not take a portion of the proceeds, so all donations will go directly to the Marshall family.

If you feel led to commit to praying for them throughout the coming days, weeks and months, that is equally as important and impactful and they will be abundantly grateful for that, too.

Because privacy during this time is extremely important for Morgan and Caleb, we would ask that you please not share this fundraiser on social media platforms, but instead share personally amongst friends, family, and church groups who have been praying via text or email. This is exceedingly important to them, and we want to make sure to honor that.

I cannot possibly put into words how grateful we are for all of those who stormed heaven on their behalves with us throughout this past weekend. You were integral to the atmosphere of peace that wrapped around Morgan, Caleb, their babies and our families. We cannot thank you enough.

If you have questions, please feel free to contact me, Sunshine Porter, via text at 770-605-2257, or via email at AaronandSunshine@gmail.com.

I will answer anything I can within the boundaries of honoring Morgan and Caleb’s need for privacy during this time. Thank you so much for understanding. We love you each of you dearly.