Recipient Stories

It’s hard to imagine a life without the perspective and hope that stillbirth has brought me. And it’s even harder to imagine a life where I never got to love my son — even if it was only for a moment.

There’s always a feeling that something — or someone — is missing. Sometimes it hits like a wave. Other times it’s more subtle, like that nagging sense of “I’m forgetting something.” But I’m not. I’m remembering someone: my son.

By Aleica DavisMommy to Dericka & BlakelyTrisomy 18 & EncephaloceleSeptember 2015 My husband and I tried to conceive for 16 years. We struggled with infertility and tried nearly every procedure a couple could — from fertility medications to IUIs, to IVF. When all of those failed, we moved on to embryo adoption. A dear friend…

By Genevieve JobstMommy to GenesisCongenital Heart Defect, Trisomy 21, premature birthOctober 15, 2018 – February 4, 2019 I received a prenatal diagnosis of Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) around 14 weeks pregnant with my daughter, Genesis. From there, we had many anatomy scans and discovered she also had a congenital heart defect that would need to…

By Wendy MertzMommy to CalebBorn premature at 23 weeks, lived 10.5 hoursFebruary 2021 My husband and I started trying for a baby about a year into marriage in 2011. I already had a diagnosis that was going to complicate getting pregnant, so we sought fertility support with a reproductive endocrinologist early on. With their help,…

Looking back, knowing now what they offer, I wish I had connected with On Angels’ Wings back in 2019 when we experienced our first loss. Because I knew loss was possible, with Jamysen I had simply wanted a family photo in case something unexpected happened… but we were blessed with more than I could have…

Theophilus (Theo) was born at just 25 weeks—a true micro preemie. I just want to give him the best life we possibly can. I never want [a] diagnosis to define him. He’s already done so much more than the doctors ever predicted he would.

His diagnosis and death deeply impacted our lives. We were thrust into a world we didn’t recognize, trying to navigate the deep grief of losing a child while still being parents and attempting to move forward. The aftermath of child loss is a winding road and can be treacherous. We have to learn how to…

We can’t take him out and show him the world like we want to because he gets sick so easily. And when he does, it becomes life-threatening.

The day Maddy was born, we were told she had bleeding on both sides of her brain and her kidneys were showing signs of failure. They only gave her one day to survive, but our little angel fought and lived another two days.