Powerful Sketch Shows The Pain Of Miscarriage For Couples
Artist Curtis Wiklund shares a sketch that will resonate with anyone who’s suffered a miscarriage
As many as half of all pregnancies end in miscarriage, yet, we don’t see a lot of social media posts discussing the aftermath of losing a pregnancy. There’s the feeling that it’s too private and some want to spare their loved ones anything too sad or uncomfortable, and that’s why an illustrator and his wife felt they should share the story of their painful loss that he beautifully captured in a single sketch.
Michigan wedding photographers Curtis Wiklund and his wife Jordin are parents to Casen and Hayden, ages three and one. Wiklund told The Huffington Post that he and Jordin discovered earlier this summer they were expecting a third child. But their July ultrasound revealed sad news.
“At the nine-week ultrasound, I got my phone out to video the ultrasound screen. The ultrasound technician asked if I could put the video away, so she could check to make sure everything was okay. That was the first time I had really considered that it might not be.”
The scan showed their baby stopped growing at six weeks. Curtis shares that the doctor gave them the space they needed during that difficult moment. “She was very kind about it. Jordin tried to keep composure in the office, but was feeling urgently like we needed to leave. The doctor pointed us to a side exit door if we wanted to use it.”
Curtis and Jordin had arrived in separate cars but both climbed into one vehicle to let the news wash over them. That’s the scene Curtis, an artist, eventually decided to sketch as a way to channel his grief. “It was an instinct in reaction to grief I think. Some people need to go for a run or do something physical, some people need to write music or paint, I felt like I needed to document the experience as accurately as I could.”
At first, the drawing wasn’t meant for anyone but he and Jordin but after a while, he felt the need to share it. “Of course, it felt too vulnerable, too exposed, to share online, and I didn’t think Jordin would want me sharing it,” he said. “But it felt important for some reason. I hoped it would comfort others who are hurting.”
As it turned out, Jordin felt the same and gave her blessing to share their very private moment with Curtis’ social media following. “Miscarriage is a very lonely experience, and if Curt’s sketch could help others feel the comfort I felt from friends knowing that I wasn’t alone, then it was worth it to share it.”
Curtis describes the outpouring of comments from those who have suffered the loss of a pregnancy saying, “Some of them were so specific to this drawing, like ‘that is exactly the car scene of me and my husband. We couldn’t believe how many there were. Sharing our experiences is important. It is healing.”
Kudos to Curtis and Jordin for letting people see such a raw and vulnerable moment in the hopes of helping other couples going through the pain of miscarriage.
