Deanna Roy - Forever Innocent

Chrissie and Kristin— I swear I’m going to fly around the world and meet you two. You are my TEAM, and I know somewhere, those babies of ours are cooking up trouble on some heavenly playground.

Robyn Bear.You are a spectacular example of turning tragedy into a life’s work. Because of you, millions of women light candles on October 15. I can’t believe I finally got to meet you, and you were as amazing as I always knew you to be online.

Mimi Strong. If I ever sell more than five copies of this book, I’m going to owe it to you! You are my role model, and Canada is on my fly-around-the-world agenda!

Dr. Marco Uribe. You know, I adore how I can go in for two icky surgeries this year, and still, all we talk about are the women on my web site, and you’re scribbling notes to me about new diagnosis and treatments to tell them about in case their doctors haven’t thought of it. Seriously — the day in 1995 that the receptionist set me up with an appointment with you instead of the doctor I asked for is one of the luckier days of my life. Of all the faces that have changed in these almost twenty years (even husbands!), yours has remained the same. I am grateful.

Jamie and Annie and the Face to Face Austin support group.Your stories always remind me of how important it is to keep up this work, even though my own body parts aren’t functioning anymore. Know that I keep all of your babies very close to my heart.

My best friend and author John J Asher.Your writing inspires me, your friendship and daily pep talks keep me going. You are a treasure. Catfish Parlour should set aside a booth just for us!

Always, love to the Austin Java Writing Company. Wine, writing time, and friendship. All the things that make the perfect group.

My critique buddies Darrell Bryant and Melanie Typaldos. You read my work and help make it better even when it’s a genre you’d never ever read otherwise.

Two amazing NICU nurses Stacie SB and Audrey W. Thank you for reading the medical sections of the book and keeping me straight.

I want to send out love and light to all the babies I’ve photographed in NICUs, and whose lives I documented, either to your happy release home, or to the peaceful end. You live in my heart.