A woman named Brooke Myrick was told the news that she was expecting twins. She was over the moon and couldn’t wait to hold her two bundles of joy in her arms, but sadly, only one of her boys survived.
While Walker got to be welcomed into the world, his twin brother Willis died inside the womb when his mom was in the 24th week of pregnancy.
The reason for this devastating loss was twin to twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), a condition in which the twins share one placenta and blood vessels that bring oxygen and nutrients necessary for the fetuses’ growth. Sadly, this syndrome means that the blood vessels don’t distribute the necessary nutrients to all the babies equally. As a result, one of the babies receives less blood than the rest, which can easily lead to organ failure while still in the womb. The fetus that receives too much blood can also face severe consequences such as cardiac issues.
Brooke was never aware of something like this until her babies were diagnosed with it.
When Walker got bigger, his parents told him about his twin brother who didn’t make it into the world. It was then that Walker developed a strong connection to his late brother.
On the day he started kindergarten, Walker asked from his mom and dad to take him to Willis’ grave. Brooke then snapped a photo of her son which she later shared online.
“Walker was five and had just started kindergarten,” she wrote. “I found him like this after getting my baby out of the car. Walker told us he wanted to tell Willis about starting school.” She then added, “I saw him sitting there and knew I had to snap a photo.”
In anticipation of bringing the babies home, Brooke and her husband bought two cribs, and double of everything a baby needs.
“It broke my heart to go home and see the double outfits we had purchased the month before.”
Speaking of the syndrome that killed her baby, this devastated mother said, “We were not screened for it, nor did our doctor refer us to a specialist or even know that my boys were identical and sharing a placenta. We fight for awareness because of the lack of knowledge that our doctor possessed about this disease.”
Walker has three other siblings, but he still feels strong connection with the brother he has never met. “We always told him he is a twin,” Brooke said. “Even as a baby, I spoke of Willis and a little smile would come on his face. I think he knew who I was talking about. I think he’s always felt that loss. He didn’t like sleeping alone as a baby. And on ultrasounds, we would see him still kicking his brother, waiting for a response back.
“I think their connection is strong, even in death. Identical twins are known to carry a very strong connection and I believe it’s still there with my boys. Walker has a drive to make sure Willis is never forgotten. Willis truly lives through Walker and I think he watches over him.”
We are so sorry for this family’s loss.
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Bored Daddy
Love and Peace