Ethan’s Story

As told by his mother Kristin.

 

Ethan is our miracle.

 

My husband and I got married in 2011 and immediately began to discuss starting a family. In my youthful innocence, I never considered that it would be so hard to get pregnant. Three years later, it still had not happened. I shed so many tears over how badly I wanted a baby. I felt broken and discouraged. My supportive husband saw how badly my heart was hurting and he suggested that we give my heart a temporary break and stop “trying” for a while. I agreed.

 

In February 2015, I came down with the flu (or so I thought). My husband continually suggested that I take a pregnancy test, to which I angrily protested, “Stop saying that. You know I can’t get pregnant!” I finally gave in and took the test.

 

I was wrong. It was positive. I cried big tears of shock and happiness. At that moment, I fell in love. At that moment, I knew that I would do anything for that little baby.

 

When I was 19 weeks pregnant, an ultrasound revealed that our sweet baby had two major heart defects and several other health concerns. My doctor transferred me to a specialty hospital, where a new medical team created a birth plan.

 

On August 15, my water broke when I was only 28 weeks pregnant. My husband and I rushed to the hospital and Ethan was born 14 hours later.

 

I didn’t know that the love that I felt for Ethan could get any stronger, but it did. The moment I saw him, the love multiplied a trillion times over.

 

A team of NICU doctors took Ethan to an incubator, where they began to monitor him and work on him. After a while, a doctor approached us and told us that there was nothing that they could do. He was just too sick to survive. They asked if we wanted to hold him and spend time with him. The answer was obvious to us.

 

Ethan was laid on my chest. I stared down at his sweet face and let the love just swell inside of me. It was the happiest moment of my life. He had the cutest nose and tiny puckered lips. He had a full head of dark hair, just like his daddy. He felt so warm against me and smelled so sweet.

 

If I could have removed my heart from my body and place it in his chest, I would have. I would have traded my strong heart for his tiny, failing one. In a heartbeat.

 

On August 16, at 3:05pm, sweet Ethan went from our arms and into the arms of Jesus. The time that we spent with Ethan was precious. I am so thankful for those memories. It was the happiest and most heartbreaking day of my life, all at the same time.

 

Three weeks later, our geneticist told us that Ethan had a serious chromosomal abnormality called Full Trisomy 9. Trisomy 9 is rare in any form, but Full Trisomy 9 is almost never present in live births. Our doctor told us that she had never seen a baby with Full Trisomy 9.

 

She told us that Ethan “should have” been miscarried within the first few weeks of the pregnancy. But he wasn’t. She told us that Ethan “should not have” been born alive. But he was. He fought to be with us.

 

Ethan Daniel was, and still is, a miracle. A gift from God. His little life continues to impact lives, especially ours.

 

We will always remember our sweet little fighter. Until we meet again.

 

Learn more about Ethan on Kristin’s blog, Echos of Ethan.

 

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