Finding a Way Forward
after the loss of an infant
Fundraising | Resources | Remembrance
Finn’s Story:
Finlay Juan Watson (Finn), was born on July 16th, 2025. A tiny, healthy, happy and adorable bundle of joy born to ecstatic parents Blaine & Abby, and a very excited big sister, Esme. After an uneventful 2 day stay at the local birthing center, Finn went home to start his life with his loving family. They would spend a wonderful 24hrs at home together.
On the afternoon of July 19th, Finn was showing signs that he was not feeling well, and was no longer interested in eating. His parents took him to the local pediatric hospital where he was diagnosed with Enterovirus - nothing more than the common cold in adults, kids, and older babies, but something that can be quite dangerous for newborns. Despite all of the preventative and supportive care Finn received in the hospital (a level 3 NICU), the virus progressed to viral meningitis, and eventually, myocarditis. When the virus reached his heart, he was transferred to the University of Iowa Children’s Hospital; a top pediatric research hospital, and level 4 NICU.
Finn had an incredible team of cardiologists, neurologists, additional doctors and nurses doing everything they possibly could to stop the virus from causing further damage, including 2 heart surgeries, and ECMO life support.
But on the morning of July 24th, Blaine & Abby were faced with an impossible decision - one that no parent ever dares to even imagine. The virus had affected too many of Finn’s vital systems, including his heart and his brain to a large extent. The chances of recovery from one of these issues was slim. From multiple, it was virtually none. Blaine & Abby elected to pull Finn off of life support on the afternoon of July 24th, and he passed peacefully in his parents’ arms, surrounded by family that love him dearly.
All For Finn is our family’s way of pouring the love for our son - the love that had no place to go after Finn’s death - out into the world, in Finn’s name. For Finn. A way of ensuring that his legacy is one of love, compassion, and empathy for other families that have no choice but to walk the same unthinkable path.
Everything here is all for Finn. Everything we do, every dollar we raise, every grieving family that finds comfort in this site is all in Finn’s name so that this beautiful, strong, and brave boy may never be forgotten.
- Abby Watson, Founder & Mother
The Foundation
How we give back, and how we can help:
The Foundation’s mission is to support families, healthcare institutions, and healthcare professionals impacted by infant loss through providing grants, resources, and awareness initiatives
Fundraising:
Our fundraiser’s mission is to amplify our impact on families and healthcare professionals who are faced with a similar situation that we were. For now, our goal is to raise money to donate back to the amazing medical facilities that took care of Finn during my pregnancy, during/after delivering, and during his illness.
What does this look like? To be honest, I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps it looks like purchasing a new piece of equipment for the St. Luke’s NICU, or donating to neonatal research projects at the U of I. Perhaps it looks like donating comfort and support items to the Maternal Fetal Medicine clinic that cared for me while I was pregnant (I know so many hard conversations are had in that office…).
At the end of the day, every penny of what we raise will be used to further the hope that fewer families have to endure what we went through with Finn. It is my hope that (eventually) it will also be used to offer support to those unfortunate few who do. I see you, too.
Resources:
After Finn’s death, I found great comfort in books, writing, and creating ways to stay close and connected to my baby boy when I couldn’t physically hold him in my arms.
While everyone grieves and processes loss in different ways, I found that some books and journaling methods were profoundly helpful, while others caused me to spiral further into a deep ocean of grief.
It is my hope that the resources on this site - as well as my candid opinions of their content and value - can help someone else who is staring in the face of the most unimaginable and unfair loss of their baby.
While my experience - and therefore my opinions - are based on losing an infant after a relatively healthy pregnancy and birth, you will find that all of these resources can also apply to parents who have lost babies due to pregnancy complications, miscarriage and stillbirth.
Remembrance:
We are some of the lucky few to be blessed with the most amazing community of people who have surrounded us with loving care throughout this unfathomable time. Many of these loved ones (and sometimes even strangers!) have come up with incredible ways to help keep Finn’s name and memory alive. Ways that not only allow us to still feel connected to Finn, but that also give back. Ways that make the world a little brighter, in his name.
I would never have thought of most of these incredibly creative ideas myself, and was overwhelmed with gratitude for those who did. For that reason, I’ve compiled a list on this page of the ways that you can ensure your babe’s name and memory lives on too.
For those who have come here to support someone who has suffered this kind of devastating loss: I can’t tell you how much these gestures meant to me as I grappled with the loss of my baby Finn. You have come to the right place.
Stories
Definitely not a blog…
For those of you like me, who take comfort in the stories of others who have walked this path before you, I have written a few [not] blog posts to give you more context on Finn’s story. Here, you will find the story of my pregnancy (which was not entirely un-complicated…), Finn’s birth, the in-depth details of our 5-days of hell in the hospitals, and how I felt in the aftermath of it all.
I say this is not a blog because I don’t intend to keep up on it. You will not find regular posts about my life or how our family is doing. That’s not what this is about. This is all for Finn, and our mission will always be to help those who have a Finn of their own, or who care for the unlucky few who find themselves in the position we did.
We always knew we wanted two kids. Not one, not three - two. So after our daughter Esme turned 2 (and after I spent one refreshing summer neither pregnant or breastfeeding…an important consideration!), Blaine and I decided that it was time to grow our family, and give our beautiful little girl a sibling. Neither of us had siblings that were very close in age, so the thought that our kids would be just a couple years apart was an exciting one for us. Personally, I had always wished for siblings my age, and the thought of giving that gift to our daughter was one that…
— Read more about Abby’s pregnancy with Finn
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Finn’s birth was nothing like I envisioned that it would be (said every mother ever about the birth of a child…). I was told time and time again as my due date approached that Finn was likely to arrive into the world rather quickly. “Don’t wait around at home,” said one seasoned nurse, “unless your husband wants to deliver a baby in the car!” You see, Esme had been on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. While Finn was tracking to be around 6lbs at birth, Esme had been a whopping 9lbs, 12oz, delivered vaginally. Doctors and nurses alike made jokes about how…
— Read more about Finn’s birth story
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The story of our hospital stay really starts the morning of July 19th, around 8:30am. As most parents know, newborn babies don’t sleep much on their first night at home (at least, mine never did…), so I had spent the entire night awake with Finn. We snuggled, he took a bottle about every 2.5hrs, and then drifted off to sleep in my arms. Unlike Esme, who seemed to prefer the solitude of her bassinet while she slept, Finn refused to be put down. He would only sleep snuggled sweetly in my arms - something that exhausted me at the time, but that I’m deeply grateful for today. But, as a human being, I also need sleep, and at 6am…
— Read more about our experience in the hospital with Finn
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What organizations will your donation support?
At this time, our goal is to give back to the incredible medical professionals and institutions that tried to save Finn, and that looked after him (and me) while I was pregnant. This includes the Unity Point Maternal Fetal Medicine Clinic, the St. Luke’s NICU, and the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
In time, I would also like to set up a grant program for families in need of financial aid in the wake of losing a newborn baby. As we have learned firsthand, just the cost of giving our baby boy the funeral/remembrance he deserved was quite a lot (and that’s not including the immense cost of healthcare, a headstone/marker for Finn, or other related expenses - it adds up fast!). Unlike older relatives who pass away, there is no life insurance policy or funeral fund when a newborn baby dies.
While we have been fortunate enough to bear these expenses, we are well aware that for many families, this is impossible. No family should have to decide between giving their child the remembrance they deserve and financial stressors during a time of already immense grief and loss. For this reason, I would love to offer a grant program to help with these costs for a family in need. This program will come with time, and will depend on the magnitude of the funds we are able to raise.