At a routine mid-pregnancy ultrasound, we were given the devastating news that our baby had a rare complication which had led to the diminishing of his amniotic fluid. One week later, we stared at the image of our baby's fluttering heart, while a doctor explained that our baby's condition was fatal. Very simply, our little baby's lungs would never develop, and therefore he would not be able to survive after birth. Despite this hopeless diagnosis, and the option of termination, we chose to carry our baby as long as God would allow. We celebrated every day that God gave us and never stopped believing in His plan. For weeks, we prayed endlessly, hoped relentlessly and loved unconditionally.
Ten weeks later, on July 19, 2012, our baby's soul went to Heaven and his silent body was placed in our arms. He never cried or took a breath of air, but he represented everything that is sacred, precious and beautiful about life.
That day, we spent every second holding him, kissing him, and falling deeply in love with him. Then we felt our world shatter, as we said good-bye to him. Although the time we had with him here on earth was brief, he has left an imprint on our hearts that will last forever. His life has changed ours in the most meaningful way, and we are truly grateful for the incredible amount of love that he has inspired.
The sorrow of losing our son will always be a part of us, but we have also been given unbelievable joy. God has not only blessed us with peace, grace and understanding, but He has awarded us the greatest gift of all ~ a beautiful boy with inspirational strength, our very own little angel... our precious baby, Gabriel.
