Sign-In
Cart
Carrying Lené: A Heart So Small
Paperback
Death & DyingGeneral Parenting
Publisher: Bianca de Koning Smuts
Published: Oct 24 2025
Pages: 80
Weight: 0.20
Height: 0.19 Width: 5.25 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
Blindsided by a pregnancy just six months after the birth of her second daughter, the author finds her life-and faith-shattered when early scans signal a profound crisis. What begins as a fight against genetic defects is soon revealed to be a battle against the inevitable: at 16 weeks, doctors confirm their daughter, Lené, has a terminal heart defect, incompatible with life.
Carrying Lené A Heart So Small is the raw, intimate memoir of the two-day, agonizing induction that follows, chronicling the mother's emotional breakdown and the terrifying physical collapse when her own heart failed under the strain. In an act of profound self-preservation, she makes the agonizing choice to say a final, silent goodbye, carrying home only a tiny clay handprint as proof of her daughter's existence.
But the story doesn't end with loss. Fueled by a vivid dream where Lené gives her a mandate to survive, the author navigates the chaotic aftermath-the surgical cleanup, the crippling self-blame, and the immense pressure to carry on for her two living daughters. The book culminates in a miraculous, high-risk rainbow pregnancy that proves life persists, teaching the family that true healing is not about moving on from Lené, but learning the sacred, resilient work of carrying her with them forever. This is a profound testament to the power of enduring love, proving that even the shortest life can leave the deepest, most radiant imprint.
Also from
Smuts, Bianca de Koning
Also in
Death & Dying
On Death and Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nursers, Clergy, and Their Own Families
Kbler-Ross, Elisabeth
Kubler-Ross, Elisabeth
Paperback
Before All Is Said and Done: Practical Advice on Living and Dying Well
Watson, Suzanne
Miles, Pat
Hardcover
Healing from Great Loss: Facing Pain and Grief to Recover Your Authentic Self
Clark, Ann J.
Paperback
When God Doesn't Fix It: Lessons You Never Wanted to Learn, Truths You Can't Live Without
Story, Laura
Paperback
The Orphaned Adult: Understanding and Coping with Grief and Change After the Death of Our Parents
Levy, Alexander
Paperback
The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning: How to Free Yourself and Your Family from a Lifetime of Clutter
Magnusson, Margareta
Hardcover
All My Dead Cats and Other Losses: Practicing Good Grief in a Culture That Fears Mourning
Smith, S. E.
Paperback
The Grief Recovery Handbook, 20th Anniversary Expanded Edition: The Action Program for Moving Beyond Death, Divorce, and Other Losses
Friedman, Russell
James, John W.
Paperback
It's Ok That You're Not Ok: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand
Devine, Megan
Paperback
Nobody Wants Your Sh*t: The Art of Decluttering Before You Die (New York Times Bestseller)
Condo, Messie
Hardcover
When the Ache Remains: Lessons on Tending to the Unfixable and Finding Beauty Anyway
Olivera, Lisa
Hardcover
How Will I Ever Get Through This?: Evidence-Based Tools to Help You Heal from Hardship, Grief, and Loss
Hone, Lucy
Paperback
In the Absence of the Ordinary: Soul Work for Times of Uncertainty--Essays on Grief, Change, and Sacred Transitions
Weller, Francis
Paperback
My Parents Are Dead: What Now?: A Panic-Free Guide to the Practicalities of Death
Robison, Becky
Paperback
Through a Season of Grief: 365 Devotions for Your Journey from Mourning to Joy
Dunn, Bill
Leonard, Kathy
Paperback
Finding Meaning: The Sixth Stage of Grief Workbook: Tools for Releasing Pain and Remembering with Love
Kessler, David
Paperback
Twilight of Camelot: The Short Life and Long Legacy of Patrick Bouvier Kennedy
Levingston, Steven
Hardcover
Tiny Beautiful Things (10th Anniversary Edition): Reese's Book Club: Advice from Dear Sugar
Strayed, Cheryl
Paperback
The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss
O'Connor, Mary-Frances
Paperback
From Here to the Great Unknown: Oprah's Book Club: A Memoir
Presley, Lisa Marie
Keough, Riley
Paperback
The Aubreigh Wyatt Story: A mother's fight for justice, love, and lasting change
Wyatt, Heather
Paperback
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma: The Innate Capacity to Transform Overwhelming Experiences
Levine, Peter A.
Paperback
Liliana's Invincible Summer (Pulitzer Prize Winner): A Sister's Search for Justice
Rivera Garza, Cristina
Paperback
The Greatest Love: Lessons for Living with Extraordinary Courage--Even After the Worst Day of Your Life
Brown, Tim
Hardcover
Never Can Say Goodbye: The Life of a Death Doula and the Art of a Peaceful End
Walker, Darnell Lamont
Paperback
Welcome to the Afterlife: A No-Nonsense Tour for Those in Mourning or the Merely Curious with Denise, Heaven's Receptionist
Smith, Taryn Delanie
Hardcover
The Other Side of the Straitjacket: A Daughter's Story of Mental Illness and Assisted Dying
Duncan, Alicia
Paperback
On Death & Dying: What the Dying Have to Teach Doctors, Nurses, Clergy & Their Own Families
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth
Paperback
The Secret Life of a Cemetery: The Wild Nature and Enchanting Lore of Père-Lachaise
Gallot, Benoît
Paperback
The VSED Handbook: A Practical Guide to Voluntarily Stopping Eating and Drinking
Christie, Kate
Paperback
Understanding Your Grief: Ten Essential Touchstones for Finding Hope and Healing Your Heart
Wolfelt, Alan
Paperback
Reimagining Grief: A New Path to Finding Healing, Strength, and Joy After Loss
Bliss, Sara
Doerge, Kate
Hardcover
Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between
Sweeney, Victor M.
Hardcover
Las Bendiciones del Quebrantamiento: Por Qué Dios Permite Que Atravesemos Tiempos Difíciles
Stanley, Charles F.
Paperback
The Five Invitations: Discovering What Death Can Teach Us about Living Fully
Ostaseski, Frank
Paperback
Briefly Perfectly Human: Making an Authentic Life by Getting Real about the End /]Calua Arthur
Arthur, Alua
Paperback
Navigating Grief Workbook: Evidence-Based Exercises to Move Through Grief and Heal
Darbonne, Anna, PsyD
Paperback
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying: The Spiritual Classic & International Bestseller: 30th Anniversary Edition
Rinpoche, Sogyal
Paperback
No Ordinary Bird: Drug Smuggling, a Plane Crash, and a Daughter's Quest for the Truth
Henderson, Artis
Hardcover
Graceful Warrior: The True Story of a Son, a Father, and a Family Who Carried Each Other Through
Sinise, Gary
Hardcover
Water Bugs and Dragonflies: Explaining Death to Young Children (Gift Edition)
Stickney, Doris
Hardcover
Now That She's Gone: A Daughter's Reflections on Loss, Love, and a Mother's Legacy
Ohlemiller, Chelsea
Paperback
Dark Archives: A Librarian's Investigation Into the Science and History of Books Bound in Human Skin
Rosenbloom, Megan
Paperback
On Grief & Grieving: Finding the Meaning of Grief Through the Five Stages of Loss
Kübler-Ross, Elisabeth
Kessler, David
Paperback
Final Gifts: Understanding the Special Awareness, Needs, and Communications of the Dying
Callanan, Maggie
Kelley, Patricia
Paperback
All the Living and the Dead: From Embalmers to Executioners, an Exploration of the People Who Have Made Death Their Life's Work
Campbell, Hayley
Paperback
The Understanding Your Grief Journal: Exploring the Ten Essential Touchstones
Wolfelt, Alan
Paperback
The Wound Makes the Medicine: Elemental Remediations for Transforming Heartache
Lighthorse, Pixie
Paperback
Final Exit (Third Edition): The Practicalities of Self-Deliverance and Assisted Suicide for the Dying
Humphry, Derek
Paperback
The Good Death: A Guide for Supporting Your Loved One Through the End of Life
O'Brien, Suzanne B.
Hardcover
The Girl on the Bathroom Floor: Held Together When Everything Is Falling Apart
Smith, Amber Emily
Hardcover
Comfort for the Grieving Spouse's Heart: Hope and Healing After Losing Your Partner
Roe, Gary Gary
Paperback
Death Does Not Exist: What Science and Spirituality Can Teach Us about the Afterlife
Allix, Stéphane
Hardcover
Do More: How to Fully Love and Celebrate Your Special People While They Are Still Here
Capurro, Brad
Hardcover
Growing Through Grief: A Compassionate Guide to Finding Meaning and Purpose After Life-Altering Loss
Mammadyarov, Alex
Paperback
In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife
Junger, Sebastian
Hardcover
The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing
O'Connor, Mary-Frances
Hardcover
This Is Body Grief: Making Peace with the Loss That Comes with Living in a Body
Mattingly, Jayne
Hardcover
Resilient Grieving, Second Edition: How to Find Your Way Through Devastating Loss
Hone, Lucy
Paperback
Celebration of Life - Family & Friends Keepsake Guest Book to Sign In with Memories & Comments: Family & Friends Keepsake Guest Book to Sign In with M
Funeral Guest Books, Briar Rose
Hardcover
Of Course I'm Here Right Now: Three Actually Helpful Things to Say to Someone Grieving
Forsythia, Shelby
Hardcover
52-Week Devotional Journal for Grief: Prompts and Prayers for Navigating Loss
Bronstad, Debbra Sell, Lmft
Paperback
What Made Maddy Run: The Secret Struggles and Tragic Death of an All-American Teen
Fagan, Kate
Paperback
The Courage to Grieve: The Classic Guide to Creative Living, Recovery, and Growth Through Grief
Tatelbaum, Judy
Paperback
Belonging to the World: A Journey from Grief to Connection in Every Country on Earth
Hoffner, Barry
Hardcover