Soon-to-be-mothers all over the world understand the joy that comes with bringing a child into the world. The nine months leading up to their birth is spent preparing for their life — building cribs, designing children’s rooms, buying diapers, you name it.

So when Lyndsay and Matthew Brettlinger, who reside in Ohio, found out that one of their babies might not have a long life to look forward to, that was all taken away from them.

During their pregnancy, the Brettlingers were told by their doctor that they would have twins, which is amazing. However, there was some bad news as well: their son, William, had heart abnormalities that would likely lead him to be stillborn.

Of course, the couple was thrilled to give a set of twins, but they were simultaneously devastated that one of them might not live for too long. They knew William’s time on Earth would be short due to his heart abnormalities.

Lyndsay talked to The Huffington Post about it: “I was so happy they were finally here and that Will was stable. But I was also scared of when I would lose him.”

The family had a great idea though, thanks to friend, which was to capture William’s short time on life. So they reached out to a local photographer named Lindsey Brown.

The timing wasn’t, well, the best given that it was in December. Around Christmas is a typically busy time for photographers. Luckily, Brown made an exception once she heard about the circumstances.

The photographer knew that this was a rare and meaningful moment to catch, so she said yes with zero hesitation.

“I knew immediately I had to do this for them. How could anyone with a heart say no to that?” Brown told The Huffington Post.

So on December 20, Brown stopped by the family’s home to work her magic and capture the beautiful moment. She took breathtaking photos of the twins laying side by side and the best part is that William even looks wide awake in some of them.

“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,” Brown told CNN.

Mama and papa Bretlinger also jumped in some of the photos and they all posed together as a family. In one photo, Lyndsay is hugging both of her babies in her arms and smiling down at them and it is so precious and heartwarming.

William sadly passed away just a week later on December 28. He was 11-days-old. The fact that his loving parents could have a moment to hold him in their arms before he passed is extremely special, though.

“They were the happiest 11 days of my life,” Matthew told 13 abc.

“I cried the first time I looked at them,” Lyndsay said of the photos that Brown took. “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.”

At least they got to capture the beautiful moment before he passed.

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Source: Parenting Isn’t Easy