Valarie Watts faced deep heartbreak after delivering her stillborn son, Noah, in July. While selling baby items in a yard sale, she held back Noah’s white crib, feeling unable to part with it. Gerald Kumpula, a retired craftsman who makes benches from headboards, saw the crib and asked to buy it. Reluctantly, Watts agreed.
After learning about Watts’s loss from his wife Lorene, Gerald decided to return the crib transformed into a beautiful bench. Touched by the thoughtful gesture, Watts placed the bench in her living room as a tribute to Noah, where she finds comfort sitting with his keepsakes. Gerald, who had also experienced loss in his family, didn’t accept payment, saying he was happy to help.
