“Some only dream of angels, but we held one in our arms.”
My name is Emily Workman. I, along with the love of my life, Wayne Watson Fadely, have had the greatest blessing bestowed upon us, and we wish to share our precious treasure’s memory and our story.
Wayne and I grew up together in neighboring towns and went through school together. After school, we went our separate ways and started our own families—Wayne had three girls, and I had three boys. Those relationships ended for each of us, and in 2022, Wayne and I found our way back to one another.
In November of 2022, we moved in together, and by February 2023, I was pregnant with our child. The doctor told us our baby was conceived on or around Valentine’s Day (he was!) and that his due date would be in November 2023. Both Wayne and I are November babies, so it felt extra special to know our baby would share our birth month.
We later found out our baby was a boy—and he would be Wayne’s first son. Wayne was overjoyed at the thought of having a little boy.
In November 2023, I went into labor with our son. We waited too long to go to the hospital, and when we arrived, I was told I could no longer get an epidural because our baby was almost here. I gave birth naturally. Sage Watson Fadely was welcomed into the world on November 21st, 2023, at 4:23 a.m. in our town hospital. He was perfect. I held him close after his birth and just stared at him in awe.
When we were finally allowed to take Sage home, we were overjoyed. We had everything ready for him. Wayne and I each had a special stuffed animal from our own childhoods that we couldn’t wait to give to Sage when he got older. Wayne dreamed of teaching his son how to fish and taking him everywhere. I often stared at Sage, unable to believe that this perfect little soul had chosen me to be his mommy.
Everyone says their baby is perfect, but I was convinced I was an angel’s mommy. He was the most beautiful baby I’d ever seen. His big blue eyes were breathtaking—just like Wayne’s. I had prayed that Sage would get his daddy’s striking blue eyes, and he did.
There were so many nights when I was exhausted, but no matter how tired I felt, I would rock Sage to sleep. I hung a string of white lights around our room, and Sage loved to stare at them. He had a little elephant stuffed animal attached to his pacifier that was always with him.
A few weeks after he was born, Sage began smiling at us! One night, as he lay in his crib, he started cooing. It was the sweetest sound—I wish I had recorded it. Sage loved his baths, and Wayne and I loved him more than words could ever describe. We were so excited to watch him grow and show him the world.
But at just 2 months and 2 ½ weeks old, our world shattered. We put Sage to bed in his crib and laid down to sleep ourselves. I woke up at 4:15 a.m., realizing Sage hadn’t cried for his feeding during the night. I went to check on him.
Sage had passed away during the night from SIDS.
It has been almost two years since Sage left us, and I think I’m still in shock. It’s as if the rug has been pulled from beneath us, leaving a hole in our hearts that nothing can fill. So many tears have been shed over our loss. Sage was, and always will be, so special to us. He brought a bright light into this world, and though he is no longer physically here, his light remains.
I’ve kept the string of lights up in our room for him, and I’ll never take them down. His photos surround us, and we think of him every single day. We had a blanket made from his onesies and a bear crafted from his baby blankets. We each wear a necklace containing a bit of Sage’s ashes, keeping him close to our hearts always.
Sage was such a beautiful little boy, and his memory deserves to be cherished and celebrated. I truly believe that if I’ve ever met an Earth angel, it was Sage—and I am forever blessed to be his mommy.
One day, we will see our sweet boy again. Until then, we carry him in our hearts, our thoughts, and our memories—always.
Rest in peace, our sweet angel,
Sage Watson Fadely
11/21/2023 – 02/10/2024
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