Q & A with Danielle & Christopher Jones

Before I share this one, I just want to say this is a topic near and dear to my heart. Sorry for the cliche, but there really isn't a better way to describe it. My son died in my arms when he was five months old, so any time an author writes about their child loss, I try to support it. So.... here we go.

Publication date: April 25, 2017

$18.95; Softcover / 5.5 x 8.5 / 224 pages

978-0-9977222-7-7

E-book: 978-0-9977222-8-4

FAMILY & RELATIONSHIPS / Marriage & Long-Term Relationships

Danielle and Christopher Jones were married for better or for worse, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer. They

just never imagined they would experience all of those things in their first few years of marriage!

Unemployment. A car accident. A terrifying medical diagnosis. The loss of a loved one. The death of their 10-day-old son, Junior.

Through it all, Danielle and Christopher held tightly to their faith, and to each other, taking each day and each step as it came and remaining committed not only to their marriage, but to turning their pain into a positive for other families.

Founders of the Angel Baby Network, Danielle and Christopher share their story to provide hope and inspiration for married couples and parents facing their own highs and lows. With candor, wit, and an indestructible sense of humor, the Joneses offer a model of perfect love in spite, and sometimes because of, life’s imperfections.

Q&A with authors Danielle and Christopher Jones

What was your main purpose behind writing As Sure As Tomorrow Comes?

We wanted to share our story of loss and love and let others know that if we were able to get through tough times, they could too. We also wanted to inspire others to turn those tough times into opportunities to bless others and to have a different perspective on their troubles.

What is the main message you hope readers will take away from your book?

We want readers to know that no matter what, if they make the decision to stay together, even in the midst of hard times, they will get through, and they will do it together. And we want parents who have lost children to know they are not alone.

You suffered an unfathomable loss when your son, Christopher Junior, died. How did you get through that time and then begin to create a legacy for him?

We depended on our faith in God and our love for each other. We decided early on that Junior would have a great purpose, and that didn’t stop when he died. We started creating a legacy for him by donating his organs to research so researchers could discover what the true cause of his death was. We also consented for him to be a part of research studies so other babies would be helped in the future. We created a donation fund at the hospital where he lived his life so that people could donate money toward Neonatal Intensive Care Unit causes at the hospital. Since Junior couldn’t consume breastmilk, we donated all of it to other babies across three different states and seven different NICUs. We learned that it ended up providing more than 3,000 feedings for other babies. And we started the Angel Baby Network to help other families who had lost children. We also got involved in legislation to enact a law that will help reduce the infant mortality rate across the state of Ohio.

What advice do you have for other married couples going through challenges such as financial difficulty, health crises, or family struggles?

Our advice for other couples is to make the decision to stay together and to weather the storm together. The storm will eventually pass.

Chris, why was it especially important to you to share a father’s perspective on the topic of infant mortality?

I wanted people to know that dads hurt, too, and that we have a voice that needs to be heard. I had great plans and visions for my boy, and in his short life, he blessed me by being my son. Often, when a baby dies, men don’t share how they feel, but the hurt is very real.

Moving forward, what are you both most looking forward to in life now? What’s next for you two?

[Danielle] We plan to keep on living life to the fullest and laughing every day. We’re planning to continue developing Chris’s photography business, and I’m looking forward to expanding my modeling/acting/public speaking and public relations careers. We’re both looking forward to seeing how many families we can help with the Angel Baby Network.

Danielle and Christopher Jones are a fun-loving couple who make sure to laugh every day. They have weathered a variety of storms throughout their lives, all while holding on to their faith in God and their love for each other. Chris is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in marketing and an associate’s degree in business. Danielle is a graduate of Florida A&M University, where she earned a degree in public relations, and the University of Cincinnati, where she earned her MBA. Chris and Danielle are passionate about supporting families who have endured child loss, and they seek to inspire others with their story of loss and love.