By Taylor Roberson
Mommy to Jacob and Reid
Jacob had Trisomy 10q and passed in January of 2023
Rainbow baby Reid was born in 2024
Jacob was diagnosed during pregnancy with Trisomy 10q, an extremely rare genetic condition with only around 40 documented cases worldwide. From the beginning, we knew his life would be different. He consistently measured small throughout my pregnancy, and every appointment carried both hope and fear. We knew he had heart abnormalities, but doctors couldn’t determine the full extent of his medical conditions until he was born. There were so many unknowns throughout the entire process and so many unanswered questions we will never know.
At 35 weeks, during a routine non-stress test, everything changed. Due to complications identified during the appointment, we were told Jacob would be delivered that very night. We walked into the delivery room excited to meet him but terrified about what would happen next.
When Jacob was born, the full picture of his medical complexity began to unfold. He was found to have six heart defects related to Trisomy 10q and was admitted to the NICU. Shortly after birth, he had to be transferred to St. Louis Children’s Hospital because they had cardiac surgeons that weren’t available at our local hospital. During the final hour of the ambulance ride, Jacob coded and had to be bagged the rest of the way. My husband was with him while I stayed behind recovering from my C-section. When they arrived, doctors had to stabilize him in the emergency room, and they told my husband to take as many pictures as possible for me because they didn’t think Jacob would survive the night.
Our hopes and dreams were simply for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby. Instead, Jacob spent nearly eight months in the NICU fighting with incredible strength. Throughout his journey, he developed kidney failure, respiratory failure, and eventually required a tracheostomy after several failed extubation attempts. Because his overall condition continued to worsen, he was no longer a candidate for heart repair surgery.
In the end, we were faced with the most devastating decision a parent can make. We chose palliative care and spent Jacob’s final moments together as a family, surrounding him with love, comfort, and peace. Because of On Angels’ Wings, we have tangible memories of Jacob’s life—photographs that capture his beauty, his strength, and the depth of our love. Those images are treasures we will carry for the rest of our lives. He passed away in my arms on January 18, 2023, just shy of eight months old. It was the most peacefully heartbreaking moment I’ve ever experienced. Losing him has left a huge hole in our hearts, and we miss him every single day.
We were devastated by this loss and prayed to God for a healthy baby one day sent from his brother in heaven. We knew there was a small risk of recurrence, but we put our faith in God and believed Jacob would send us his little brother.
During my pregnancy with Reid, we couldn’t help but fear another heartbreaking outcome. After genetic testing and anatomy scans, our doctors gave us the all clear that he was healthy. On Angels’ Wings also captured my pregnancy with Reid to help us bring normalcy and joy to a time with mixed emotions.
Reid was born in July 2024. Although he had a brief NICU stay because he arrived a little early due to complications with my blood pressure, he is healthy and thriving today. It broke our hearts to see him transferred to the NICU after everything we had been through with Jacob, but thankfully his stay was short. After he came home, On Angels’ Wings provided newborn pictures of our family with our rainbow baby.
Jacob taught us so much during his eight months with us. We will always cherish the memories we have of him and never let his memory fade. Reid will always know how strong and brave his big brother was. Our family has grown closer through the pain of losing Jacob, and it has made us even more grateful for the sunshine Reid has brought into our lives. Today, Reid loves playing with his oldest brother, Elijah, who is nine years old, watching Ms. Rachel, and loving on his mama.
The photographs On Angels’ Wings has provided during our journey are treasures we will carry forever. Our hearts are forever grateful for all of the memories that OAW allowed us to cherish and we can forever share with Jacob’s little brother Reid in his memory. My hope is that On Angels’ Wings can continue helping other families the way they helped ours. We are so grateful for the memories they’ve preserved and the support they’ve provided. Those gifts will never be forgotten.
Jacob’s life was rare in every sense of the word—rare in diagnosis, rare in strength, and rare in the profound impact he made in just eight months. Though his time here was brief, his life was immeasurably meaningful.
I want other families to know that joy can come after loss. Never give up, and never stop fighting for what you believe in.
