Eight months after her 13-month-old son’s sudden death, Nicole Smith recently realized – not only is her name missing from his gravestone, but someone else’s is there instead.
Nicole’s son Noah passed away unexpectedly in late December 2018 from sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).
“He was just the sweetest little soul. It’s not fair.”
“I’m never going to be able to hear him talk or say I love you,” says Smith.
The gravestone includes Noah’s four sibling’s names, his father, Jordan Hart, and his current wife, Megan.
When asked why he chose to exclude Smith from the headstone, Hart explained that he did not want her name on the marker, saying she was not a good parent through Noah’s short life.
Smith acknowledges that Noah’s father, Jordan Hart, and his current partner were the primary caregivers until his death, but she told Global News she feels, as Noah’s biological mother, it is her right to be included on such a permanent monument – even though it was paid for by the boy’s father.
“I just don’t think it’s right. Regardless of the situation, my name should’ve been on that stone,” says Smith.
Her sister Amanda Smith adds: “I hope that it’s fixed and Nicole’s name can get up there because I know Noah would want it up there.”
Smith said that she is considering taking legal action to have the stone changed, since she claims that she was told she would have input over final decisions during the funeral arrangements.