Halfway through her pregnancy, a young mother learned the baby boy growing inside her would not survive outside her womb.
She carried him for another four months knowing that for as long as he remained inside her, she could keep him safe.
Peter James Raridon was born September 11th.
His mom Anna and dad Eli, a rookie tight end for the New England Patriots, learned during their 20-week anatomy scan that Peter had anencephaly, a fatal condition affecting development of the brain and skull.
Instead of preparing to bring their first baby home, they spent the remainder of the pregnancy loving him while knowing their time together would likely be painfully short.
Anna says she is grateful she got to love Peter, protect him and be his home for nine months.
Then she wrote the words that absolutely broke my heart:
“I have loved you every second of your life & will miss you every second of mine.”
Anna and Eli are leaning heavily on their faith, believing their son’s life had meaning regardless of how brief it was and that their goodbye is not forever.
One of the images they shared shows Peter’s tiny footprints inside a Bible.
A reminder that this little boy was here, he was deeply loved, and he will always be their son.
Please pray for these young parents and for every mother and father who understands the heartbreak of loving a baby they never got to bring home.