Luciano Sasso. (photo courtesy of Jaiden Photography)

Family law attorney Molly Sasso and her husband Len celebrated the birth of their third son, Luciano, on August 5, 2016. They knew during the pregnancy that he had a heart condition, but he was not fully able to be evaluated until after birth. On his birthday, Molly and Len learned that Luciano had a pulmonary artery “sling,” meaning his pulmonary artery attached more or less where it was supposed to, but only after “slinging” between his trachea (windpipe) and his esophagus. This aberrant heart plumbing caused complications to his windpipe, compromising his breathing.

Baby Luciano with his adoring brothers. (photo courtesy of Jaiden Photography)

Nonetheless, he had a good prognosis and they anticipated surgery several months after his birth. Unfortunately, sweet Luciano did not make it to his surgery date. He died two weeks before his scheduled surgery, on October 1, 2016. His family cherished the memories of the two months they’d been able to care for him. As Molly found comfort in a community of grieving moms, some who had suffered multiple losses, she began to understand the overwhelming trials that many families face, of which conceiving is only the first in a mile’s worth of steps to carry a healthy pregnancy to term. Many of these couples with infertility problems lose their children at or before birth. Fertility struggles and bereavement walk side by side. So Molly decided to do something about it.

After hearing of a friend who was raising money to finance an adoption after losing two infants 15 months apart, it struck Molly that she could help in a situation like that. As a practicing attorney focusing on family law, she routinely handles adoptions and surrogacy matters as a part of her law firm, Kinney & Sasso. Molly felt called to help grieving families who long for a baby after child loss. She turned to her community-minded legal colleague Christie Guerrero to bounce the idea for a non-profit agency off her. Luciano’s Light was born to assist those who must accomplish their miracle after child loss through adoption or surrogacy.

On Luciano’s first birthday, Molly and Christie announced Luciano’s Light, a charity to offer free and reduced-fee legal services to loss families seeking to adopt or to have children via a surrogate. In bereavement circles, a baby born after loss is referred to as a “Rainbow Baby,” so the charity’s logo — crafted by designer Jenny Mayfield — reflects Luciano’s Light being cast through a prism to create a rainbow.

In announcing Luciano’s Light to her friends and family, Molly said, “Our souls ache for Luciano every single day. I can’t give him a gift and throw him a lavish party to celebrate his learning to walk or see him smash cake in his face. But there is something I can do. He deserves a legacy.”

Her announcement ended with a message to her son, “I can’t throw you a party, my beautiful angel boy, but I can help other loss moms and dads have their Rainbow Baby, if they must achieve that miracle through adoption or surrogacy. I can keep doing good in your name.”

The Sasso Family. (photo courtesy of Jaiden Photography)