By Kiarra Wallace
Mommy to Aurora
Trisomy 18, Congenital Heart Defect
April 1-14, 2024
I found out in late summer 2023 that I was pregnant. I was scared and happy at the same time. The pregnancy went by faster than I thought it would and it was a rough journey for me because she was my first baby. The entire pregnancy I was told everything was find and my baby was healthy. However, a few days before her due date, the doctor told me that she had a rare condition and I needed to have a c-section.
Aurora was born on April 1, 2024. She wasn’t breathing right, so immediately after showing her to me, the put a breathing mask on her. Within a few hours she was transferred to a bigger hospital in the city for additional testing that our hospital couldn’t perform. They discharged me the next day – even after having a c-section – so I could be with her.
Testing revealed that Aurora had a gap between her valve and heart, and that she had Trisomy 18. Things did not look good. Doctors told us she likely only had two weeks with us as they intubated her. Unfortunately, the doctors were right and our Aurora left this earth just 14 days after arriving.
Losing Aurora changed our life’s in a way I can’t describe. It’s been difficult getting through without her. We are more emotional and damaged – our hearts shattered into a million pieces the day she died, and there has been a lot of crying and hugs and mental and physical support throughout our journey. It’s been nearly a year without her and it’s still a struggle.
We want to have more children, but we’re waiting for when Aurora is ready and our hearts are ready. I feel like Aurora will give us a sign when it’s time.
The picture On Angels’ Wings took for us of Aurora mean the world to us. They came the day before she died and I know that I would have regretted it had I not done pictures. What OAW does is very important, bringing everyone together in what can be a heartbreaking moment, and giving us memories that will last a lifetime.
