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A Special Gift

Jasmina Meyer/Highlands Today

Sarah and Lawerence Holton, owners of Orchid Hill Stables,Inc., continue with their lives after their nearly two-month-old daughter, Chloe, passed away Jan. 15. A benefit singing is scheduled for Feb. 7 to help the couple with medical bills.

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By BRAD DICKERSON

Highlands Today

Published: January 31, 2009

SEBRING - Lawerence and Sarah Holton had roughly two-and-a-half minutes to come up with a name for their newborn daughter before she was transported to Orlando's neonatal unit.

The Holtons' child was born six weeks premature at Highlands Regional Medical Center on Nov. 18, 2008. She weighed 3 pounds, 14 ounces.

Six hours after her birth, the infant was being taken by ambulance to Florida Hospital.

"She did really good for three hours," Sarah said. "She was breathing fine and everything and then she started showing respiratory distress."

As the hospital staff prepared to move the newborn, they asked the new parents what the child's name was. The Holtons had about two-and-a-half minutes to give them an answer.

"We were two-and-a-half months from picking a name," Lawerence said of their premature baby.

The pressure was even greater because the Holtons didn't know the sex of the baby prior to her being born. That was how Sarah wanted it.

"It's the biggest present of your life," she said. "I wanted it to be like unwrapping a Christmas gift, not knowing what it was."

Eventually, the proud parents went with a name that Lawerence liked - Chloe.

"Nobody in our family was named (Chloe) out of almost 100 of them," Lawerence said.

Improving Health

Chloe spent 14 days in the neonatal unit. Sarah said her little daughter was a fighter, improving twice as much as doctors were expecting every day.

The little one was gaining weight and only stayed on a feeding tube for seven days before taking a bottle. Chloe also took a full feeding the first time Sarah nursed her.

"She was a tough cookie," Sarah said. "She looked awesome. Her features were perfect. She just looked perfect."

Once home, Chloe continued to improve, gaining around half an ounce to an ounce a day.

After several weeks, Sarah and Lawerence were able to take their daughter to church and then to a lunch meeting of a ladies networking group.

Then, early in the morning of Jan. 15, Chloe's life ended. The apparent cause of death was sudden infant death syndrome.

"I was watching her sleep and I realized (it) didn't look like her chest was rising," Sarah said.

An Album Of Memories

Sarah keeps a photo album with her at all times. Inside are pictures of her infant daughter.

The images captured show a baby in the arms of loved ones, as well as sleeping under the protective care of a stuffed animal.

"I'm always showing people pictures of her," Sarah said.

Her work has helped in dealing with Chloe's passing. As the co-owner of Orchid Hill Stables, Sarah's clients range in age from 4 to 74.

"Horses are healing, children are healing and I work around horses and children every day, so my job is good for me," she said.

Lawerence and Sarah also remain busy tending to the rest of their family; their stable of horses and their seven dogs, which include six Jack Russell terriers.

The dog's names include Jack, Jill and Chloe. The couple's four-legged brood accompanies them to everything from horse shows to the beach.

"We've got a picture of Jack riding a horse," Lawerence said.

An avid rider for 20 years, Sarah's favorite of her horses is Rio, a national show horse that is half Arabian.

"The kids that ride here, they just love him," she said.

Continuing On

The Holtons are continuing with their lives following Chloe's passing. Lawerence is getting back to his job with a local electrical company and tending to his orchid garden and koi pond. He calls the latter two his hobby.

Sarah continues with the riding lessons and working with the couple's animals. She said the two are definitely planning to have another child in the future.

In the meantime, she'll continue showing people photos of Chloe, her "gift from God."

"He used Lawerence and I to bring this special little girl into the world," Sarah wrote in a letter she read at her daughter's memorial service. "In her eight short weeks of life, she touched the hearts of more people than we will ever know."

Upcoming Benefit To Help Family With Costs

The Holtons are in the midst of both working on their home and stable, as well as dealing with the financial obligations that came from Chloe's hospitalization. Sarah said she is unsure if they qualify for Medicaid or not.

"They wanted a birth certificate and I said, 'I have a death certificate. I don't even have a birth certificate yet. It hasn't come yet,'" she said.

Now, members of the community are coming together to assist the couple with their financial needs. A benefit performance is set for Saturday, Feb. 7 at Dee's Place in Sebring. Special music will be provided by the Wacaster Family, an award-winning Nashville group. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

Also on Feb. 7, a benefit shoot will take place at Wacaster farm, located at 3501 Beck Ave. The cost is $5 per shot and food and prizes will be available.

"My little girl had taken riding lessons from the family," said benefit organizer Nancy Hale, adding that Chloe was "just a beautiful little girl."

Highlands Today reporter Brad Dickerson can be reached at 863-386-5838 or bdickerson@highlandstoday.com

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