Jacksonville family gifts stillborn baby's toys to other families

A Jacksonville couple heartbroken by the loss of their unborn son is using their story to help others and spread awareness.

Months after the 37-week prenatal checkup when their situation changed unexpectedly, parents Kuwanya Brown and Anthony Woods still feel the pain from losing Kingston-Lamar.

“That’s when we were told they could not find a heartbeat,” Brown said.

“One second you know there is no heartbeat, and it tears you up,” Woods said.

Kingston-Lamar would have been 8-months old in December, celebrating his first Christmas.

His parents want two local families with sons turning 8-months-old this month to have the unused new toys their baby would have received.

“He was going to be 8 months. Let’s find another boy that’s going to be 8 months and share his love in his name,” Brown said of their thought process.

The family also wants to spread awareness about the pain of losing a child.

It's a loss the Florida Department of Health shows that 111 other families went through in 2016 in Duval County alone.

Erin Addington, of the Northeast Florida Healthy Start Coalition, told Action News Jax the 111 infant deaths in Jacksonville doubles if you include still-births.

“When we look at Duval County, too many babies are dying due to preventable causes and lack of access to care,” Addington said.

Still grieving, Kingston-Lamar’s parents are turning their personal tragedy into their purpose.

They’ve already found one local family to give some of their son’s unused toys to, using their Facebook account, and reached out to Action News Jax to help find another deserving baby.

For more information on this story, you can contact Action News Jax reporter Cole Heath.

Cox Media Group