It’s typical for expectant parents to dream about meeting their newborn baby. For Ohio residents Lyndsay and Matthew Brentlinger, when they welcomed a set of healthy-looking twins into the world it truly seemed like a miracle.
The Brentlingers were informed by doctors during the pregnancy that their son, William, had heart abnormalities and likely would be stillborn. But on December 17, 2016, the couple happily met their wide-eyed son along with their daughter Reagan.
Lyndsay and Matthew were overjoyed to be new parents. However, they also were aware that William’s time on earth would be short because of his heart issues.
The mom told HuffPost:
“I was so happy they were finally here and that Will was stable. But I was also scared of when I would lose him.”
A friend of the Brentlingers came up with an idea to help capture the family’s precious time together. She contacted local photographer, Lindsey Brown, hoping she could do a last-minute photoshoot.
Since it was so close to Christmas, Brown (of Lindsey Brown Photography) was understandably booked up. But because of the circumstances, she didn’t hesitate to make a visit to the family’s home with her camera.
Brown shared with HuffPost:
“I knew immediately I had to do this for them. How could anyone with a heart say no to that?”
On December 20th, Brown worked her magic and created a beautiful photoshoot for the Brentlinger family.
She took photographs of the twins wrapped up next to each other, looking sweet as can be. Baby William appears wide-awake in some of them.
Lindsey Brown told CNN:
“I could not believe how perfect they both looked … William was extremely alert, as if he was trying to take it all in, while little Reagan slept and barely opened her eyes. It was extremely bittersweet the entire time I was there.”
The Brentlingers posed with their newborns on the couch and also took separate photos as well. Each is one that will be cherished forever.
It’s a blessing that Lyndsay and Matthew had the chance to hold their son in their arms and enjoy special moments as a family of four.
Sadly, baby William passed away days later on December 28th when he was 11-days-old.
Although their time together was short, Matthew shared with 13 abc that “They were the happiest 11 days of my life.”
When it comes to the photographs that Brown took, Lyndsay shared:
“I cried the first time I looked at them. I still cry sometimes They are beautiful and he is beautiful. In some of them, you can see he is wide awake with his big beautiful eyes. It’s something we will definitely cherish.”
Brown’s heart is warm knowing that the Brentlingers will always have the photos to “look back on” and that they can even be shown to their daughter, Reagan. Lyndsay too was excited about this.
While losing a child is the most heartbreaking experience a parent could go through – the Brentlingers tried to make the most of their time together as a family (and they were appreciative of that time).
Lyndsay told TODAY:
“The days with both of our babies at home together were amazing. We tried our best to focus on enjoying the time together and creating memories. We were able to do this and felt like God blessed us with the time to get to know our son.”
May the sweet angel William rest in peace.
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