Mother dies in Childbirth

Unbelievable, right?

No. It still happens. It is with tremendous sadness that I report of the passing of our dear friend Michal Lura Friedman.  I spent three months sharing a tent with Michal during an intensive group retreat at Rocky Mountain Dharma Centre in 1992, so it is sad to loose an old friend. Michal also was a talented singer.  And two of Michal’s sisters are good friends, and so I feel very much for them. But the saddest part is the whole story:

Michal and husband Jay had been trying for the last seven years to make their dream of parenthood come true, and Michal was thrilled when she was finally pregnant with twins.

Everything was going just fine, and I was even with Michal’s sister, Lynn, on Friday night, at a lecture, when she received the call that the birth had taken place and everyone was doing well. I drove Lynn home, and we talked about the exciting news of the birth of such healthy twins (I think 8 lbs and 6 lbs) . Yet, only a few hours later …

Michal sadly lost her life on Friday, November 25, 2011, due to complications from a C-section, shortly after delivering healthy twins, Jackson James and Reverie Vivian.

This is so unbelievably sad.  The news has shaken our community, and I can’t imagine what her family is going through, and of course especially the new dad, Jay.   While everyone is rallying now to lend as much support as possible, Jay will need support far into the future, in order to provide for Jackson and Reverie. To aide in this, a site has been set up: www.thesnydertwins.com

If you can, please consider making a donation. If you can’t, just go there anyways, have a look at the photos, and send your very warmest wishes and best thoughts to this new family.  That counts, too.

PS: If you would like to see images and video of Michal, and/or are inspired to leave a remembrance or aspiration, you can do so at Elephant Journal, here.