David & Kelly Armstrong

From tragedy, a lasting memory

Imagine losing two baby girls before finally giving birth to a baby boy who survives. That’s what happened to David and Kelly Armstrong. But rather than allowing their initial tragedies to have a negative impact on their lives, they chose to make a difference for future parents. This is their story.

In 1998, Kelly and David Armstrong learned that the baby girl Kelly was carrying would not survive outside the womb once she was born. This began a series of tragic events for the young couple that included the loss of two baby girls, three miscarriages, two surgeries and countless medical tests.

Over the course of five years - from the loss of their first daughter, Kaitlyn, until the birth of their healthy son, Jordan, in 2003 - the couple relied heavily on the emotional and physical support of staff at The Ottawa Hospital.

“What I remember most, beginning from the very first devastating event, was the sincere compassion and kindness bestowed upon us by the staff at the Hospital,” says Kelly. “When I was admitted to the Hospital for my first birth, and I knew my daughter would not survive, I was having trouble sleeping and my nurse came in and sat with me in the dark. She held my hand until I fell asleep. It was amazing to feel such kindness from a complete stranger.”

After the loss of their second daughter, Sarah, they asked that donations be made to The Ottawa Hospital Foundation. The outpouring of generosity from family and friends led them to the idea of creating the Kaitlyn and Sarah Armstrong Memorial Endowment Fund for Maternity Care. Each year, David and Kelly donate to the fund on their daughters’ birthdays; friends and family also contribute annually to this fund to support maternity care at the Hospital.

“We had struggled each year on their birthdays to find some way to commemorate them as well as to help others. This was a perfect fit; and it was permanent,” explains Kelly. Being able to specifically designate which department the proceeds would support was also appealing to the young couple.

They have also linked their fund to their wills in the form of a bequest, allowing them to leave behind a lump sum donation for the fund when they are gone.

“Our hope is that the proceeds of this fund will help provide the resources and equipment necessary to ensure the safe arrival of future little ones born at The Ottawa Hospital.”