Valarie Watts was heartbroken when she delivered her stillborn son, Noah, in July. In the midst of her grief, she decided to sell most of the items she had lovingly prepared for Noah’s arrival, hoping that letting go of these belongings might bring her some peace. However, there was one item she couldn’t bear to part with—the white crib she had bought for her baby boy.
During a yard sale last month, a retired craftsman named Gerald Kumpula noticed the crib and felt drawn to it. He asked Watts if he could buy it, but she hesitated. The crib held too many memories, and the thought of selling it felt unbearable. Yet, when she learned that Gerald, a 75-year-old man, repurposed old headboards and footboards into beautiful benches, she found a sense of calm. She realized that, in his hands, the crib would become something beautiful, not just an empty reminder of her loss. With a heavy heart but a peaceful mind, Watts agreed to sell the crib for just two dollars.
As Gerald and his wife, Lorene, were leaving the sale, Lorene noticed the baby clothes on display. Curious, she asked about Watts’ son, and in a moment of shared grief, Watts told her the heartbreaking story of Noah’s passing. On their way home, Lorene relayed Watts’ story to Gerald, and they both felt an immediate connection to her pain. The Kumpulas had experienced a similar loss when their first grandchild was stillborn, so they understood the deep sorrow that Watts was enduring. They knew that the crib wasn’t just another piece of furniture—it was a symbol of the love and hopes that Watts had for her son.
A week later, the Kumpulas returned to Watts’ home with a special gift. Using the crib’s materials, Gerald had crafted a beautiful bench and brought it to Watts. The gesture touched her deeply. “It’s beautiful,” she said in an interview with TODAY.com. “There are still good people out there,” she added, her voice filled with gratitude. Watts placed the bench in her living room, a space that held memories of Noah, and found comfort in knowing that the crib had been transformed into something meaningful.
For Watts, the bench wasn’t just a piece of furniture; it was a place where she could sit, cuddle Noah’s teddy bear, and remember her son. She expressed relief that the crib wasn’t simply left unused, but instead, had become a part of her healing process. In her final weeks of pregnancy, Watts had noticed a decrease in Noah’s movements. On July 22, during a cesarean section, she learned that her baby wasn’t breathing. The doctors explained that Noah’s umbilical cord had tightened, cutting off his oxygen. Watts survived the delivery, but Noah didn’t. The Kumpulas, having lost their own grandchild in a similar way, felt a deep connection to Watts’ story.
Gerald saw the crib not as a sad reminder, but as a chance to create a memorial. “A bench is more of a monument,” he said. “It’s a part of that terrible event, but it’s not an empty crib anymore.” Despite Watts’ insistence, Gerald refused any payment, simply saying, “It feels good to help someone. That’s enough.”
As Watts prepares to marry her fiancé, Jimi Hamblin, this fall, the bench has become a source of solace for her. It sits near a bookshelf filled with photos, footprints, handprints, and Noah’s ashes. Though Noah is gone, Watts finds comfort in the bench, feeling his presence in a quiet, peaceful way. “Even though he’s not here, I feel comforted by his presence when I’m sitting in it,” she said. “It’s like everything is calm and okay.” In moments of sadness, she sits on the bench and feels a sense of peace, knowing that everything will be alright in the end.
