Recipient Stories
Recipient Stories
The Founder's Heart
moment by moment
photographers' passion
Stories from On Angels’ Wings Recipients
Hazel : Blindsided by a Second Diagnosis
March is Brain Abnormalities Awareness MonthBy Rebecca NorrisMommy to HazelBorn February 2016Pontocerebellar HypoplasiaHazel was born prematurely. My water broke at 24 weeks and they kept her in until 27 weeks and 4 days. This is when our journey with On Angels’ Wings...
Louie : Love Keeps Him Here
March is Brain Abnormalities Awareness MonthBy Maria BottinoMommy to LouieBorn August 2021Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy (HIE)I’ve been told since I was 16 years old that I would never get pregnant due to a health concern of my own – endometriosis. In January 2021...
Rhylyn : Unbreakable Bond
March is Brain Abnormalities Awareness MonthBy Braedn ArnallDaddy to RhylynBorn February 2019Hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy (HIE)Rhylyn had a traumatic birth. Thankfully, she is a very strong girl and is doing her best to overcome any obstacles. As hard as it may be,...
Tate : It is Well With My Soul
March is Brain Abnomalities Awareness MonthBy Heather CrowleyMommy to TateBorn June 2019Ohtahara SyndromeRecently married with a three-year-old stepson, my husband and I decided to try to get pregnant fairly quickly so that the kids could be close in age. We were...
Izzy : True Vision of a Warrior
March is Brain Abnormalities Awareness MonthBy Carrie DyalMommy to Izadora “Izzy”Born August 2019Intractable epilepsy without status epilepticus and global delaysMy husband and I had had two miscarriages before Izzy was born; a twin pregnancy lost at 8.5 weeks, and a...
Amada : Never Forgotten
February is Rare Disease Awareness MonthBy Scott McDonaldDaddy to AmadaPentalogy of CantrellBorn November 2022We always wanted to have children, just not sure of the timing. We tried for some time before it happened, so when we got pregnant, we were so happy. We...
Joey : Everything in Stride
February is Rare Disease Awareness MonthBy Penny RodenhouseMommy to Joseph “Joey”PTPRT Gene Mutation, Moebius Syndrome, Tracheomalacia, Congenital Myopathy, Epilepsy, Hypotonia, Chronic respiratory failureBorn May 2022My husband and I tried to have a baby for 6 years...
Ledger : What He Was Supposed to Be
February is Rare Disease Awareness MonthBy Abby FaumuinaMommy to LedgerLimb Body Wall ComplexApril 12, 2023After trying to get pregnant for over 3 years, we finally gave up and decided we were probably infertile. To our surprise, on August 27, 2023 we found out I was...
Ezra : Peace That Surpasses Understanding
By Lisa EgglestonMommy to EzraMay 24 – May 25, 2019AcraniaWe decided we wanted to start our family fairly young to be younger parents. After a couple of months, we were soon pregnant with our first child in September 2018. We were excited and started making plans for...
Beckham : Terrified Hope
By Angela FrankMommy to BeckhamOctober 26 – November 12, 2022Brain AVM, Heart FailureBeckham’s pregnancy was a really big surprise! A surprise we didn't know we wanted so bad until it happened. Nick and I had been together for 5 years and were raising Brooks, my child...
Ilah : Fight Together
By Nicole WeberMommy to IlahBorn August 2023Pulmonary Atresia – Congenital Heart DefectWe went in for our 20-week anatomy scan for our second child and found we were having a girl. However, the ultrasound tech started to seem a little worried. Once the scan was done,...
Samuel : Cherish Every Moment
By Darby HarveyMommy to SamuelBorn March 2023Trisomy 13My husband and I struggled with infertility. We were in the process of seeing multiple specialists for infertility treatment when we found out we were pregnant. At our 20-week anatomy scan they found our little...
How the Grief Recovery Method Helped an OAW Momma
I wrote this on my Facebook profile two years ago and it’s still one of the best things my husband and I have ever gone through together. I highly, highly recommend the Grief Recovery Method. Friends, if you have a loss of any kind that you need to walk through and...
Taezia : Praying for a Miracle
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness MonthTina CaudleMommy to TaeziaNeurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)As a mom you know when something is wrong with your child. Taezia was born with a scary looking brown spot on the skin on her lower back. We asked her pediatrician...
Lana : Shining Smile
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness MonthBy Tonya MorrisMommy to LanaNeurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)Lana’s journey started when she was born (August 2017). She scream-cried every day and almost all day long. She projectile vomited after every feeding and wasn’t...
Riley : From Fear to Cancer Free
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness MonthBy Samantha LaBargeMommy to RileyInfant Acute Lymphocytic LeukemiaEverything started when Riley was about 4 or 5 months old – she had a bump on her head and what seemed like a cold with a fever that wouldn’t break with...
Elijah : Just Three Months
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness MonthTyra JohnsMommy to ElijahMalignant Rhabdoid Tumor Predisposition SyndromeFebruary 23 – May 20, 2022I found out I was pregnant unexpectedly in June 2021, just 4 months after giving birth to Elijah’s older sister. Being only...
Gabriel : Our Little Warrior
September is Pediatric Cancer Awareness MonthBy Janet LopezMommy to GabrielGrade 3 Anaplastic Astrocytoma of ThalamusApril 8, 2016 – February 4, 2023Gabriel was born the spring of 2016. He was a happy, healthy baby, and we were so happy to finally have him in our...
Willa : Amazingly Resilient
May is Lung Disease Awareness MonthWhitney WoodringMommy to WillaBorn November 2017Congenital Central Hypoventilation SyndromeWilla is our second child. Like most parents, we were excited to have a new baby, to give our other daughter a little sister to grow up with...
Shyla : Remembering Smiles
May is Lung Disease Awareness MonthBy Becky HuffmanMommy to ShylaBorn December 2014Bronchial Pulmonary Dysplasia, Cerebral Palsy Shyla came to us through foster care when she was 9 months old, in September of 2015. We did not know she was medically fragile at the...
Archer : Deep Breath
June is Lung Disease Awareness MonthBy Allyson MattinglyMommy to ArcherBorn May 2021BPD (Bronchopulmonary dysplasia) - chronic lung diseaseOverall, my pregnancy with Archer was normal. At my 20-week anatomy scan they thought something was wrong with his heart. So,...
Cecelia : Here for a Moment
May is Anencephaly Awareness MonthBy Shyanne CeradskyMommy to Cecelia FayeAnencephalyJuly 19, 2022My baby lived 39 precious weeks inside my womb, and just moments outside in the world, and her life still mattered. We went to a third-party ultrasound place to get some...
Haleigh : Always Smiling
April is Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness MonthApril is Donate Life MonthBy Tara HahsMommy to HaleighCongenital Diaphragmatic Hernia and Bilateral Wilms TumorsHaleigh was diagnosed with Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia while I was pregnant at my 18-week scan....
Chanse : Stable and Thriving
April is Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia Awareness MonthBy Janell SchwarzMommy to Chanse SchwarzCongenital Diaphragmatic HerniaI found out I was pregnant at 13 weeks. I went in for a routine sonogram at 14 weeks with my OBGYN in Topeka, and I knew then I was having a...
Winnie : Sweet One
March is Trisomy Awareness MonthBy Emily VinsonMommy to WinnieTrisomy 18Born September 1, 2021It all started when I had gotten my 10 week NIPT blood test done. It came back 96% positive for the rare genetic disorder, Trisomy18. When my doctor called, she explained...
Harper Mae : Second Heartbreaking Loss
February is Heart MonthBy Katelyn LeeMommy to Harper MaeCHD - Truncus ArteriosusAugust 21 – October 17, 2022 My husband and I found out we were pregnant with our son in January of 2021. We spent January to May loving every minute and getting ready to welcome our son...
Cole : A Sense of Normalcy
February is Heart MonthBy Maggie ButtramMommy to ColeCongenital Heart DefectI remember every detail of what we thought would be our 19-week anatomy scan for our second child; it became a moment that is burned in my mind forever. My husband had to work, so I went...
Kendrick : Change of Mindset
By Breanna ScottMommy to KendrickSpina BifidaOur journey with Spina Bifida began at my anatomy scan while pregnant with our first child, Kendrick, in 2017. My OB noticed some abnormalities on my ultrasound and sent me to a local maternal fetal medicine doctor. While...
Zander : A Father’s Grief Fuels Purpose
By Micah ClarkDaddy to Zander Born still on August 12, 2017My wife, Raelynn and I were super excited to welcome our son in the fall of 2017, and life was good until that summer. August 11th, a typical day, we went in for our baby's check-up. We got checked in and...
Martha : Time Cut Short
May is Anencephaly Awareness MonthBy Taleah JohnstonMommy to Martha Born still on May 24, 2022AnencephalyMy husband and I take a fishing trip for our anniversary each year. When our anniversary came in 2021, we were ready for a few days at the lake and decided it...
Easton | Micro Preemie to Five Years
My fiancé Lane and I were very young when I found out I was pregnant with Easton – I was 19 and he was 20. Our expectations were to have a healthy full-term baby. That’s what any parent hopes for. We dreamed of being able to have Easton room in with us after delivery,...
Kayden : At His Own Pace
We received Kayden’s diagnosis of Congenital Diaphragmatic Hernia at our 20 week anatomy scan when they discovered that his diaphragm had a large hole. This hole (hernia) allowed the majority of his abdominal organs to migrate into his chest and severely compromised...
Bowen Dean : Never Forget
May is Anencephaly Awareness MonthBy Tiffany SmithMommy to Bowen DeanAnencephalyAugust 2021In August 2021, my husband and I gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, Bowen Dean. Bowen had the most beautiful dark blue eyes, the longest salon curled eyelashes, an adorable...
Brian : Tiny Hero
April is CDH Awareness MonthI found out at 12 weeks that I was pregnant. We were shocked but excited. As an early Mother’s Day present I found out at 16 weeks that our sweet little caboose was another boy (youngest of three). After two healthy pregnancies I had...
Kamry : Super Girl
March is Trisomy Awareness MonthMy husband and I knew we were ready to start a family, unfortunately we got the news he was going to be deployed July 2013. So we prayed about it and decided that we would let God decide if we would get pregnant before he left for...
Ashlyn : My Hero, My Strength, My Heart
March is Trisomy Awareness MonthI found out my sweet baby girl, Ashlyn, had Trisomy 18 (Edwards Syndrome) at my 20-week ultrasound. Doctors in Springfield – where we lived at the time – found I had only one artery on my umbilical cord and that she had a cleft lip. She...
Kaylyn : Angel Watching Over Us
February is Heart MonthWe found out we were pregnant with our second child on October 8, 2017; 11 days before Harper, our oldest daughter, turned one. We had decided to try again, but didn’t expect it to happen that quickly, what we like to call a “planned surprise.”...
Watson : Heart of a Warrior
February is Heart MonthBaby Ace, as we called him before finding out his gender and deciding a name, was a beautiful surprise! The moment I found out I was pregnant I did all the healthy things you can imagine. I was very conscious about what I put into my body and...
Raine : Keeping Pace
I never expected to be a heart mom. I never thought I’d have to pass my baby off to a surgeon; it’s the hardest thing to ever do as a mom. I never knew what the CHD world was before Raine was born. I just thought how any other parent thought: I’m having a baby I’m...
Za’morah | Trauma and Loss
After being diagnosed with PCOS in 2009, my dreams of becoming a mom were crushed when I was told my body would fight off 9/10 pregnancies, making it almost impossible to carry to term. Fortunately, in October 2019, I had my first live birth... a little girl, and...
Owen | God’s Lasting Miracle
Following a previous miscarriage, we were experiencing a ‘typical’ pregnancy — until a sonogram changed everything. At our 20 week ultrasound, Owen’s head could not be viewed and we were told to reschedule for 4 weeks out. At the time, we had no suspicion that...
Hunter : My Giggly Boy
We decided that we needed one more child and started trying in 2016. We got pregnant at the beginning of 2017. We were so excited and so were our other children. We really wanted a boy and Russell said he wanted to name him Hunter. We knew from the beginning that was...
Kaysen James : My Little Butterfly
In May of 2021 we found out we were expecting our rainbow baby. The pregnancy was rough, but we were ecstatic. On January 6th 2021, our beautiful Kaysen was born via c-section after I had a lot of trouble with my blood pressure and they thought he may of had fluid...
Ella Grace : In God’s Hands
Just 6 months after our second miscarriage, we found out that I was pregnant again. We were so relieved when I made it to the 12 week mark. Our then 5 year old, Owen, announced to the whole church that he was going to be big brother! He was so proud. I had bloodwork...
Enslee : Never Lose Hope
I got pregnant kind of unexpectedly. I was nervous -- it'd been 6 years since I had a baby -- but I was thrilled to share these moments with my best friend. He longed to be a dad so bad and my daughter always wanted a baby sister. I found out on April Fools Day of...
Naomi : You are my Sunshine
I found out I was pregnant in August of 2018. We had been trying for almost a year, so we were ecstatic. But, my husband and I both have achondroplasia dwarfism, which created a sense of worry for our baby. Long story short, we had a 75% chance of having a healthy...
Milo : Nana’s Story
Milo Adler graced this earth on July 3rd at 31 weeks. He was in NICU for 5 weeks and got to come home for 5 days. Milo then experienced some issues that caused his mom some concerns. At the doctor's office, before he could ever be seen, he coded. Milo was stabilized...
Eden : Miracle Girl
March is Trisomy Awareness Month Eden was born at 37 weeks and 6 days in May of 2012 via c-section. We didn't know anything was wrong with her. She sounded strong but was in fact suffering. Eden was screaming because she couldn't breath and was trying to catch her...
Bentlee : From the Heart
To say our sweet, beautiful boy changed our lives is an understatement. When we decided to try for a child, we were so blessed to conceive quickly and without trouble. Though, throughout my pregnancy, I was sick. So sick. Though throughout my pregnancy I was sick. So...
Alex and Ryker
Ryker was born at 25 weeks gestation and spent several months in the NICU. On Angels' Wings was there to capture his NICU graduation. His mom, Alex, a talented photographer, has since been a dedicated volunteer with the organization, giving precious photos to other...
Ellie : Connection Through Heartbreaking Realities
In 2014, my husband Patrick and I welcomed our first child into the world. A beautiful little girl with pouty lips named Ellie. About a month before she was born, Patrick and I first heard the words that would shape our lives and the life of our daughter from that...
Capture the Beautiful Moments :: Hunter
Expanding one’s family is an exciting and amazing journey. For Russell and Victoria Parker, this was exactly what they had in mind. The blessing of another child became a reality for the couple when they learned they would welcome a baby boy in early 2018. However,...
Facing Loss, Providing Hope :: Jocelyn Grace
“I’m sorry, but she is gone. There is no heartbeat.” “Those words are stuck in my soul for the rest of my life. There are no words to describe what I was feeling in that moment. Complete shock and disbelief to start, but I felt like I was living someone else’s life....
Jaxon’s Story
By: Paulette Hughes OAW Volunteer with Flyover Photography Baby Jaxon's story is one that speaks to the remarkable strength that our On Angels' Wings families possess. His story also demonstrates the ongoing connection that OAW volunteers have with the families we...
Anencephaly | Bethanie & Everly’s Stories
By: Kim Patterson The very first baby born into Heaven that On Angels' Wings founder, Michelle Cramer, had the honor of photographing was Bethanie Baker. Bethanie's parents were told at a routine ultrasound that their baby had a condition called anencephaly and would...
Spinal Muscular Atrophy
By: Teneka Huffman Everyone remembers their first: their first job, their first heartache, the first time they realized what they were put on this earth to do. Meeting Logan Ruth encompassed all those firsts for On Angels' Wings. Logan was the child that made such and...
Pint-Sized Wonder Women
By: Janis Bennett When Lexi ran through the crisp autumn leaves in her Wonder Woman costume, complete with a blue tutu featuring sparkly silver stars, there was no doubt that this photo shoot was going to be a lot of fun. She's a beautiful little spit-fire with the...
Araya :: Trisomy 18
By: Kim Patterson Like so many couples, Shelby and her husband struggled with fertility issues and endured the pain of miscarriage along the path to becoming parents. So when Shelby discovered that she was expecting, the news came as somewhat of a surprise. The...
Changing the Negative Trisomy Mindset
Part 1: Ashlyn By: Michelle L. Cramer, OAW Founder & President Incompatible with life. That is the phrase most Trisomy parents hear just moments after receiving their child's diagnosis. Nearly every Trisomy family we have encountered to this point has been told to...
Hope Ann-Maire :: Trisomy 18
Hope Anne-Marie was diagnosed in utero with Trisomy 18. Born on January 3, 2014, she graced this earth with her presence for just under two months. One of our St. Louis photographers, Dorinda Peyton, had the privilege of meeting the Hayes family at Cardinal...