Grieving father records song for his dying newborn after the death of his wife

In a viral post, BuzzFeed features a musician father singing the Beatles’ “Blackbird” to his newborn son. Before the recording, the wife and mother of this little family had died after an emergency c-section.

Chris Picco shared many precious moments in the four days he had with his tiny son, Lennon, before Lennon also died. Chris was able to “focus completely” on his son and honor the memory of his wife, Ashley, while he did this.

Lennon – who had been born premature at only 24 weeks – died in his father’s arms. Chris wrote about the inestimable worth of Lennon’s life – before and after his birth.

He was dressed in an outfit that Ashley bought for him, with little guitars on it, and wrapped in a blanket made by a dear friend.

I am so thankful for the four unforgettable days I got to spend with him.

His mommy would have been so beyond joy to see him and to hold him, touch him, bathe him, sing to him – as I have had the privilege of doing.

I have been so blessed and honored to love him before he was formed, to cherish him while mommy carried him, meet him face to precious face, and hold his perfect little body while we said “goodbye for now”.

One of the reasons Chris chose to record a song for Lennon was because of a memory Chris had of Lennon as an preborn child. Clearly, both parents identified Lennon as their precious son well before his birth:

Ashley would often feel Lennon moving to music so I brought my guitar today and gave him a little concert.

You can visit Ashley Picco’s memorial page here.

Blackbird with Lennon