Type of Loss: Infant loss

More about this episode: In this episode of Confessions of a Grieving Mother, we hear from Emily as she shares the story of her son, Charlie. From the very beginning, Charlie’s journey was filled with uncertainty. He was expected not to survive pregnancy and faced a 95% chance of having Down syndrome. Against all odds, he was born and continued to defy expectations.

At just five months old, Charlie went into cardiac arrest, leaving lasting neurological impacts. Despite ongoing medical challenges, he lived at home surrounded by love until pneumonia and pulmonary hypertension became too much for his little body to fight.

Emily opens up about the many layers of grief she and her family have faced from grieving during pregnancy, through medical crises, and finally in saying goodbye. She shares honestly about the anger, the heartbreak, and the tension between faith and human limitation when it comes to caring for medically complex children.