Families Who Have Been Touched

My husband and I spent two long years injecting medications, enduring surgeries, a miscarriage, starting the adoption process, therapy, and emptying out of savings accounts. On March 20, 2012, we got the surprise of our lives, not only had both embryos from our fourth full round of IVF implanted, but one had divided into identical twins. We were pregnant with triplets! This particular type of mixed triplets is often times, referred to as "a pair and a spare." The next thirty-five weeks were scary, amazing, and the most cherished time of our lives.

We made it through the identical twins not being mono-mono at nine weeks, baby C's placental abruption at 11 weeks, preterm labor at 22 weeks, bedrest that began at 27 weeks, gestational diabetes, cholestasis, two rounds of injected steroids for everyone's lungs, our triplet baby shower, to the OR at 32 weeks for a C-section that was then canceled and until finally when each baby was estimated 5 lbs. We finally had a set OR date of October 8! On October 6. I woke up with chills and backache.

The exact details of that morning's appt. will always remain a blur, but several hours later, we finally got an ultrasound with a physician. His next sentence would change our lives forever. "I'm not sure how to tell you this, but baby B's heart has stopped," I remember literally feeling my heartbreak, and I could not catch my breath. My husband crumbled to the ground and made a sound that will haunt me for the rest of my days. I was rushed to the OR to rescue our survivors. Baby Elle was born sleeping.

She was the most beautiful baby I have ever seen, and she was identical to her sister Olivia. From the moment we were told Elle's heart had stopped, my life stood still. I had to remind myself to breathe. Not one person in the OR that urgently staffed with an emergency team took a photo, and my husband was not allowed in the OR. Later that evening, a graceful stranger showed up to our hospital room with a kind smile and stated she was there to capture our angel and our family. It was a true miracle and a gesture we will forever be thankful for.

The only photos we have of our daughter are because of an amazing person who volunteers her time, passion, and talent to grieving families. We will never have Elle's first day of kindergarten, prom, wedding photos, but we do have our cherished photos Dana captured for us. Her breathtaking photos are hung in our home so we can remember her beauty every day.