By NOAH WORTHAM | Staff Writer

CHELSEA – Although his time on this side of eternity was brief, Carson Davis continues to be a blessing to both his family and the community.

Carson Davis was born on Dec. 22, 2018 to Candace and Chris Davis. Doctors identified Carson as a full-term stillborn.

“It was very sudden, He was a healthy baby boy until he was no longer here with us,” Candace said. “From the very beginning of our journey, we have been able to feel and pinpoint the presence of God throughout this process.”

Candace described the day of Carson’s birth as one of the hardest days of their lives but also one of the most joyful.

“You’re devastated and sitting there, thinking about the reality that he’s not coming home with you,” Candace said. “And then you also have to share that news with his older sister who’s not really at the age to understand why the baby is not coming home and all that means for her and our future as a family.”

However, despite the situation, Candace said she felt an overwhelming sense of peace which she had never experienced before.

“I had this overwhelming sense of peace and calm and reassurance that I would again have another child one day,” she said. “I truly felt like that was the Holy Spirit that had come in with us that night and reassuring us that we were going to be okay in the days to come as we were learning and taking shape as new people facing tragedy.”

Chris also shared that he felt he could see God working in the events back then.

“Seeing how God started to move and work almost immediately—we had so many people and so many unexpected things while we were in the hospital happen,” he said. “We had someone, we still don’t even really know who, had a photographer come in and was able to take pictures with us and Carson so we can have that.”

A family member contacted a lady in the community who works with ceramics to preserve impressions of Carson’s footprints, handprints fingerprints and handprints. The nursing staff and hospital staff were also able to encourage the Davis family having been through similar experiences before and when the Davis family returned to their home congregation, Morningstar Methodist Church in Chelsea, they also received support from others with similar experiences.

“He (God) was already there to start putting those people in our path,” Chris said. “It was just very impactful and, really, for us just changed everything and we drew closer to God through that.”

Candace and Chris also were able to find support through the Amelia Center at Children’s Hospital who helped each of them separately deal with their grief.

“The Amelia Center was very instrumental,” Candace said. “I feel like going to the Amelia Center—(it) was a place where I could completely let my guard down, express my feelings fully and they were helping me become the new person that I am today.”

Chris described his experiences at the Amelia Center as a “turning point.”

“As the father, and the husband, you have to put on a straight face and be kind of okay and (be) ‘The strong one,’ but I was not that, I broke down,” he said. “It really was a turning point. I felt like I had that outlet,  when we would go to our counseling session, to get everything out.”

Now, close to five years later, the family is honoring Carson through a memorial run that will raise funds to support the Amelia Center.

“I really like the Baby Steps 5K (because its) a way for us to come together as a family and remember him,” Candace said. “It’s just a different way to remember him and to celebrate him and to try to support people who are in the same boat, that we have been in.”

Candace also shared that, after a period of time, her previous reassurance of another child was rewarded and the family had another child, a baby boy.

“We ended up having that baby that I was promised,” she said. “It took a while but it happened, that was a surprise.”

The Davis family lives in Chelsea and continue to attend Morningstar Methodist Church.

The Baby Steps Memorial Run will be held on Saturday, Sept. 9 at Homestead Hollow in Springville Alabama. More information on the event can be found online at Babystepsal.com. Those interested in helping honor Carson can also join Carson’s Crew in support or can donate to the Amelia Center.