By SYDNEY KENT
Morgan Nunley was 21 years old when her world was torn apart by the sudden death of her three-month-old son, Parker.
Parker’s unexpected passing permeated the fabric of Nunley’s very existence. She struggled to remain tethered to a world that, for her, had quickly unraveled.
“Thinking back, when I remember him … it’s hard to remember the good moments,” Nunley recalled. “I remember that night specifically. Every detail of that night. They put him in the ambulance and we went to the hospital. The hardest part about it was rocking him until he was cold in the emergency room and just … having to leave him there. That was the worst part.”
A deep, dark grief began to weave its way through what was left of Nunley’s heart. Six months after Parker’s death, Nunley found out that she was pregnant with her second child, Baylee.
“It was probably too soon after his passing, but I have always said that Baylee kept me alive,” Nunley recounted. “I was in some really dark places. There were multiple times I had to talk myself off of a ledge.”
Nunley said that for the next three years, she felt numb.
“I started using drugs to deal with the pain while I was in the worst of the grieving process. Parker’s dad and I stayed together for three years after he died,” Nunley explained. “Eventually, I started using meth behind his back. I ended up leaving. And that was when I started living in my addiction.”
Nunley said she ultimately reached rock bottom. Her perspective and motivation to survive changed when she gave birth to her second daughter, Elodie, in March 2023.
“Baylee made me want to stay alive,” Nunley paused. “Elodie made me want to figure out how to live again. I was alive but I was not living. The hardest part is figuring out how to go on with life without Parker. It’s been almost 11 years, but especially in the early years — life doesn’t stop.”
“I found the missing piece in Jesus,” Nunley’s conviction was clear as she spoke through tears. “(Parker) has been with him the whole time. I am so honored that my son gets to be with the King. I know that one day I will be reunited with him.”
Nunley said her recovery is only possible through her faith in Jesus. Though she grew up attending church, she believed she had to live her life in a certain way to “earn” her entry into heaven. After entering the program at Grace and Mercy, a transitional recovery home in Bluffton, Nunley’s outlook changed.
“Now I know that isn’t true,” Nunley said. “I’ve always believed in God, but now I have a relationship with Him. I could not have done any of this on my own. I have learned that the enemy comes to kill, steal and destroy. That’s exactly what happened in my life. But my strength, my joy, my peace — it all comes from Jesus.”
Nunley met her now-husband, Ryan Nunley, during a faith-based recovery meeting called Breanna’s Hope in July 2023.
“We went on our first date in October 2023 and married by April 2024,” Nunley laughed. “We’re getting old, so no time to waste. It is truly incredible what God has done in our lives in such a short time. In addiction, years go by in the blink of an eye with nothing to show for them. Time still passes so quickly but it’s incredible how much can happen in just one year now.”
Nunley has a word of warmth and wisdom for those who may be grieving the loss of a child this holiday season: “You are not alone. I know it can feel like you are alone. It’s important to recognize, remember, and celebrate their birthdays and their lives. Don’t let the memories fade. Remember that there is joy, there is hope, and you will see them again one day.”
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