“My baby’s skin hardened & split seconds after birt – but she isn’t any less beautiful”

Pregnancy often comes with challenges, but for Jennie Wilklow, motherhood began with heartbreak and courage. Her pregnancy seemed perfectly normal until an emergency C-section at 34 weeks changed everything. For a brief, beautiful moment, Jennie heard her baby cry and believed all was well—until the delivery room fell silent. Doctors watched in shock as her…

My 8-year-old daughter collapsed at school and was rushed to the ER. As I reached the hospital, the nurse looked up and said softly, “Your family was just in her room.”

The laughter echoing through the backyard had an oddly hollow edge.   The sun shone warmly, balloons danced lightly in the breeze, and a table piled high with gifts glimmered in bright wrapping paper. Yet my daughter Piper lingered by her birthday cake, eyes brimming with tears. She had been eagerly anticipating her fifth birthday…