ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. — A little more than seven years ago, Isaac Georgecame into this world as a sweet and happy baby.
"He had beautiful, beautiful eyes. And he was a happy baby, very, very happy — never cried," said his mother, Asha George of Rochester Hills, Michigan.
Photos courtesy of the George family
Isaac was a very loved little brother and a light that shone brightly here on Earth, even though it was for a short time. At 5 months old, Isaac unexpectedly passed away.
"It was just like, 'how am I going to take care of my kids?' And each day, every day, you got to go for your kids, you know?" said Asha. "I had to take it day by day. Nobody can tell you how to grieve. They can just be there for you."
Photos courtesy of the George family
Photos courtesy of the George family
To honor Isaac, the George family started to release red balloons on a day in October, which is Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Month.
Asha said it was a day her boys and family looked forward to each year.
"For them it was like, 'oh, he's going to get it. It's so cool. Yay!' And it was joyful and they were happy. And so for me, it was just a celebration that my four boys, they were together," she said.
Photos courtesy of the George family
Photos courtesy of the George family
It was that gesture that sparked an idea, and Asha channeled her grief into writing with a purpose — a purpose to help her family and other families who have lost someone special in their lives.
"I want to help others," she said. "I want them to know they can talk about grief to their kids and there's ways to talk about it. And there's things to do to cope with grief."
Photos courtesy of the George family
And that’s the message of "Isaac's Red Balloon," a children's book told from the perspective of Isaac’s older brother Caden, as they celebrate Isaac’s seventh heavenly birthday.
"We chase the red balloons as they soar up high, flying away into the starlit sky. I imagine floating up, rising with my red balloon and meeting my angel brother above the bright crescent moon," the book reads.
"I wanted to break that cycle of shame and guilt and holding grief to yourself, especially for my boys," said Asha. "We have so much joy. Even though we miss him, we have so much joy and our life is still going on, even though it hurts so bad, life still goes on."
Photos courtesy of the George family
Asha’s book has done more than just lift up her family. She said people have reached out to her explaining how "Isaac’s Red Balloon" has helped them though a difficult period in their lives as well.
"I wrote this book just to help families, and it's beautiful. I love it. It was my heart," said Asha. "So much love and support. It is amazing. And I get pictures every day of their kids holding the book. And there's a definition of grief in there and explaining, and there's activities to do, and my boys are just so proud," she said.
A portion of the book’s proceeds, Asha said, will go toward helping grieving parents who are financially struggling afford a headstone.
"You're making something beautiful out of my pain," said Asha. "I still miss him and I still love him. But I'm at that point now just to tell people, 'don't give up hope. It's, it's going to be OK.'"
Photos courtesy of the George family
To learn more about "Isaac's Red Balloon," click here.
This story was originally published by Alexandra Bahou at WXYZ.
