In 2018, my boyfriend Troy was expecting his first baby. Early on, however, the doctors could no longer detect a fetal heart rate, and he experienced a heartbreaking miscarriage. The loss hit Troy harder than I could have imagined. For months, he withdrew, sinking into a deep depression. Talking about the loss was nearly impossible for him, and he carried so much pain silently.
As our relationship grew, Troy slowly began to open up. The months of unspoken grief finally started to surface, and with every conversation, he began to heal. Eventually, we started talking about the possibility of having a child together. At first, Troy was hesitant. He feared I might go through the same pain he had endured, and he wanted to protect me from that heartbreak.
We approached every step thoughtfully, discussing all possibilities and planning carefully. Finally, we decided to try to conceive. When the positive pregnancy test came, the joy was overwhelming. But with that joy came Troy’s worry, which grew quickly. He was hyper-focused on my health, and I became anxious about announcing the pregnancy to our families. What if we lost the baby? Troy, still cautious from his past, agreed to wait before telling anyone. But I knew one thing: if tragedy struck, I didn’t want to face it alone. I needed the support of my family, in both good times and bad. After much consideration, I shared the news in March 2020 that we were expecting a baby—our “Godboat”—and the excitement from our loved ones was incredible.
The first few prenatal appointments went smoothly. In early November, we found out we were having a little boy and chose the name Kairo Jay. During the anatomy ultrasound, though, the technician couldn’t get a clear profile shot, so I was scheduled for an additional ultrasound on December 11th, 2019.
Troy’s 22nd birthday, December 10th, however, brought our first real scare. I had been experiencing very frequent, unexplained Braxton Hicks contractions and ended up in the hospital, terrified I might be in preterm labor. Luckily, after a few hours, the contractions eased and eventually stopped. Troy and I couldn’t help but laugh through the stress—of course this would happen on his birthday! I returned the next morning for my follow-up ultrasound, this time with my mom by my side. Everything looked perfect, and we were able to get some beautiful views of Kairo’s face.
But then, something incredible happened. As the technician handed me the printed photos, I immediately noticed a smaller form in front of Kairo—a tiny figure that looked like a guardian angel, giving him a kiss. Overwhelmed, I texted Troy and shared what I saw. We were amazed and moved; it felt like a miraculous sign, a little blessing looking over our baby boy.
After all the pain Troy had endured, this felt like the closure he needed to heal. Tears flowed freely, but they were tears of joy. I shared the photo and our story in a local Facebook group, and the response was overwhelming. Within 24 hours, it had been shared over 2,800 times. Beauty, it seems, is contagious.
Reading the stories and reactions from others, especially parents who had also experienced rainbow babies, has been deeply touching. Many of our family members have faced fertility struggles and miscarriages, making this moment even more meaningful. Troy has received so much love and support, and I am so grateful to be by his side through it all. We truly believe that Kairo will always have his guardian angel sibling watching over him, and we will cherish that incredible image for the rest of our lives.
