Listen to this father's lullaby to his dying newborn son


After Chris Picco's wife, Ashley, died in her sleep Nov. 8, their son, Lennon, was born at 24 weeks via emergency C-section. As Lennon fought for his life inside of a Southern California NICU, Chris remembered something Ashley had said: Whenever they would listen to music together, the baby would move inside of her.
"I thought, 'I'm going to get my guitar,'" Picco told KABC. "Ashley would want me to sing to my son and play to my son." Picco spent two days by Lennon's side, he said, crying as he sang and played. A friend shot video of Picco singing "Blackbird" by The Beatles, a song Picco loves and hoped "might trigger something" in his baby.
Lennon survived for four days. Picco gave his blessing for the video to be released in order to help other parents experiencing grief know they are not alone. "Your whole life just changes in a moment," he said. "I knew that was going to happen with the birth of my son, I just didn't think it was going to be this soon." --Catherine Garcia
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
June 1 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Sunday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's golden comb-over, brain drain in America, and a new TACO presidential seal.
-
5 cartoons about the TACO trade
Cartoons Political cartoonists take on America's tariffs, Vladimir Putin waiting for taco Tuesday, and a new presidential seal
-
A city of culture in the high Andes
The Week Recommends Cuenca is a must-visit for those keen to see the 'real Ecuador'
-
Nobody seems surprised Wagner's Prigozhin died under suspicious circumstances
Speed Read
-
Western mountain climbers allegedly left Pakistani porter to die on K2
Speed Read
-
'Circular saw blades' divide controversial Rio Grande buoys installed by Texas governor
Speed Read
-
Los Angeles city workers stage 1-day walkout over labor conditions
Speed Read
-
Mega Millions jackpot climbs to an estimated $1.55 billion
Speed Read
-
Bangladesh dealing with worst dengue fever outbreak on record
Speed Read
-
Glacial outburst flooding in Juneau destroys homes
Speed Read
-
Scotland seeking 'monster hunters' to search for fabled Loch Ness creature
Speed Read