Couple Receives a Rare Prenatal Diagnosis for Unborn Baby. Their Response Goes Viral (Exclusive)

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5 days ago

In the midst of heartbreak, Stephanie and Alex found quiet joy in a gender revealNEED TO KNOW
Stephanie and Alex were eagerly preparing for parenthood when their prenatal test revealed unexpected news
They chose to move forward with a private gender reveal to celebrate their daughter, Isla
A video of the moment quickly went viral, connecting them with a powerful community of supportStephanie never imagined cutting into a simple gender reveal cake would become one of the most emotional moments of her life. She also never expected the video of that moment to resonate with millions online.
In a soft, picnic-style TikTok shared with her followers, Stephanie and her husband Alex sit together in a park, holding their breath as they slice into a cake. A pink center reveals they're having a girl, and the caption tells a much deeper story. 'We love you so much baby girl and we're here to celebrate every moment of your life no matter how long we get with you,' Stephanie wrote.
Their unborn daughter, Isla, had recently been diagnosed with Trisomy 13 — a rare chromosomal disorder that is typically life-limiting.
But for Stephanie and Alex, the diagnosis changed everything except their love for their daughter.
'Part of my grieving process has been allowing myself to still celebrate and do all the 'normal' pregnancy things regardless of her diagnosis,' Stephanie tells PEOPLE. 'This little moment brought us so much joy.'
Stephanie and Alex are both originally from Phoenix, Arizona, where they met as high school students. 'We were just babies,' Stephanie says with a smile. 'We've been married for seven years now.'
After years of moving across the country and even living abroad due to Alex's military career, the couple finally settled in Colorado Springs. It was there that they decided to try for a baby. 'We had been trying for over a year,' Stephanie says. 'We also had a miscarriage, so when we found out we were expecting again, we were over the moon.'
They were visiting family in Arizona when they saw the positive test. 'It was really special to be able to tell them in person,' Stephanie says. 'She was very wanted from the very beginning.'
A few weeks later, they decided to take a noninvasive prenatal test. At first, they were just excited to find out the baby's gender. But the test came back flagged as high risk for Trisomy 13.
'It's a chromosome disorder,' Alex explains to PEOPLE. 'She has an extra 13th chromosome, and it comes with a lot of complications.'
'Usually it's life-limiting,' Stephanie adds. 'She could pass at any point in the pregnancy or shortly after birth.'
The weeks between that first result and the final diagnosis were some of the hardest. 'I took the test at 12 weeks and we got the initial results at 13,' Stephanie says. 'But I couldn't have further testing done until 16 weeks, and we didn't get the full diagnosis until about 18.'
During that time, the couple leaned on each other in ways they hadn't before. 'We rely on our faith a lot,' Stephanie says. 'We've been praying together, and we've just been taking it day by day.'
Alex agrees. 'Our faith is our number one priority,' he says. 'And then it's each other. We've been trying to put each other first through everything.'
Stephanie says the emotional swings come daily. Some days are quiet. Others are filled with tears. 'There's new emotions every single day,' she says. 'But I'm really thankful that we have each other to lean on.'
Their families have also been a vital part of their support system. 'Both sides of the family have been wonderful,' Stephanie says. 'Even friends and people online have reached out — I've gotten so many messages from people sharing similar stories.'
Stephanie had no idea the response on TikTok would be so overwhelming. 'It's actually crazy,' she says. 'So many people have reached out saying they're praying for us, or for Isla. It's really special.'
Deciding to do the gender reveal wasn't easy. For a while, Stephanie says she didn't know if she could allow herself to celebrate at all. 'When we found out there was a possibility something was wrong, it felt like everything had been taken away,' she says. 'All of our hopes and dreams came crashing down.'
But after talking together and taking time to process, they chose to move forward with the moment anyway. 'We weren't sure what the outcome would be, but we knew we wanted to love her no matter what,' she says. 'I'm so glad we did it.'
For Alex, the reveal was bittersweet. 'In my head, I was still in denial,' he says. 'I thought everything would be fine. I was just praying constantly.'
He remembers the moment clearly. 'I was happy, honestly,' he says. 'It was emotional, but I was still just really happy to find out we were having a girl.'
That moment — cutting into a cake on a quiet day in their backyard — helped reframe the rest of the pregnancy. 'It kicked off that mindset for me,' Stephanie says. 'I had waited so long for this baby. I couldn't imagine just being sad the whole time.'
She started looking for small ways to celebrate Isla's life, even in the uncertainty. 'I decorated a corner of the nursery,' she says. 'It's not the full room, but it's a special little spot where I can keep her things.'
She also picked out books to read to Isla and bought a journal to write daily letters. 'I pray over her every day,' Stephanie says. 'Even going to the movies and feeling her kick when eating popcorn. I try to be intentional with every moment.'
'I'll probably have more time with her in my belly than we do after she arrives,' she says quietly. 'So I want to make the little moments count.'
The reaction online to their story has been one of compassion and connection. One comment, in particular, stayed with Alex. 'A woman messaged Stephanie and said she didn't know she could still celebrate her child after a diagnosis like this,' he says. 'She said seeing us made her wish she had done that too.'
It was a reminder of why sharing matters. 'We hope we can inspire people to do the same,' Stephanie says. 'To celebrate, regardless of the diagnosis.'
The message of how joy and grief can exist at the same time is one Stephanie wants other parents to hear. 'I want them to know they're not alone,' she says. 'Getting a diagnosis like this can feel incredibly isolating.'
When she was first looking for stories like hers, Stephanie struggled to find many. 'Trisomy 13 is so rare,' she says. 'But the few families I found helped me feel a little less alone. I hope we can do the same for someone else.'
She also hopes more people understand that continuing a pregnancy like theirs is possible in some cases and can be healing for some families. 'From the start, we knew we wanted to keep her,' Stephanie says. 'We had prayed for her for so long.'
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The couple was clear that they didn't want to be the ones to decide how long Isla's life would be. 'We just want to love her and carry her for as long as we can,' Stephanie says. 'Even though it's really hard.'
They recognize that not every family has the same choice. 'To each their own,' she adds. 'This is just what we felt the Lord was calling us to do.'
Alex nods. 'If we get to meet her, even just for a short time, it's going to be a blessing,' he says. Stephanie agrees. 'We're really looking forward to meeting her,' she says. 'Even if it's just for a moment.'
Their story continues to reach people across social media, and Stephanie hopes it will always be a reminder of faith, love, and holding onto joy wherever it can be found. 'The Lord is close to the brokenhearted,' she says. 'He's been the one walking us through this.'
Read the original article on People
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