Will’s story is our story.

In May 2020, we got the wonderful news that we were expecting; after four attempts at IVF, we finally did it! On week 7, we saw his heartbeat for the first time. We made it to the second trimester, and our family planned a gender reveal party. Yep, it was a boy!!

We started prepping the nursery. Will’s Dad painted the nursery on August 13th; our 20-week scan was the next day. We showed up with such excitement to finally see this little guy. The sonographer showed us pictures of his face, his little hands, and his feet. She left the room, and the doctor came in, and our world has never been the same.

We were informed that Will had multiple fetal abnormalities. He had not developed kidneys, and his spine was so twisted that his heart appeared on the wrong side of his chest. He had multiple black spots where his brain was supposed to be developing. My first reaction has never been my best, so after many swear words and a lot of loud NO’s, we were taken to the genetic counselor, where we were told of the few options available regarding Will’s life.

Those are the most haunting conversations I replay over and over.

I have never thought – “why me.” Our only thoughts were what was in the best interest of our son Will.

We said our sacred goodbyes quietly. We were surrounded by family and an excellent infant bereavement program. We were provided counseling, literature, a locket with his birthstone, chimes, his little feet in plaster, and an ink print of his hands. These gifts were given freely for us to honor and remember our little boy’s life. We also attended many memorial services to honor Will’s life.

Will’s Wings Foundation was started to honor and remember the families experiencing infant/child loss. We work in partnership with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to build their infant bereavement program by providing memory boxes filled with lockets, chimes, blankets, tissues, books, and other things needed for families experiencing infant loss. We hope to expand our mission and work with other local hospitals in Ohio.