Laila: Held for a Moment

Twenty-four, fresh out of college, and beginning a career in finance, the moment Leah Mele-Bazaz learned she was pregnant, she thought, I want this baby. Her boyfriend, Gautam, felt the same, and for the next six months, they were ready to move heaven and earth to welcome their daughter into the world.

Then the unthinkable happened. At twenty-six weeks of gestation they got the worst news that confirmed her biggest fear: their daughter, Laila, had no detectable heartbeat. The news shattered her, upending her newlywed bliss and sending her into a downward spiral of depression from which she felt she would never recover. But amid this despair, Leah would find lights to guide her out of the darkness: Gautam’s support, a dog from the shelter, her passion for running, and, above all, an unwavering love for Laila.

In this heart-wrenching memoir, Leah Mele-Bazaz shares her experience with the devastation of stillbirth. Her inspiring journey from loss and anguish to newfound hope and healing shows there’s a way to live when our children are no longer with us.