Our names are Mathew and Deborah Ahlquist. It is with deep heartbreak that we share the sudden loss of our daughter, Faith Angel Ahlquist. Since we have two boys already, we were very excited to have our little girl, especially her 3, almost 4-year-old big brother, Aaron.

We were 6 months along on April 21, 2025, when we went in for the big anatomy scan. Partially through the appointment, the ultrasound tech got up, said she needed assistance with scans of her heart, and would be back. She came back with their echo specialist who looked at the ultrasound machine, said there was something going on with her heart but she was not sure what, that they would send the doctor in, and they both left. We waited for a while, then the doctor came. She looked for a long time before telling us she was not sure exactly what was going on. Faith had been moving consistently, so they were struggling to get good scans, but she was speculating that our daughter had a serious heart condition. She said they were going to send us to Seattle Children’s to see specialists, to go home and wait for a call from their scheduling department. We went home full of a trunk of emotions and tears and awaited the call.

Seattle Children’s called us the next day and got us in the day after that. We went to the appointment on April 23, 2025, and were told our daughter had a serious heart anomaly. She was missing the entire center portion of the walls of her heart, which was flipped backward and on the wrong side of her body. The aorta going to her lungs was way too small, and all of the ins and outs for her blood were on the same side. It was at this appointment that the team of specialists informed us our daughter would not make it. That the baby girl we had waited for would not make it earthside with us.

Mathew took two weeks off work to be with me (Deborah) as we went to appointment after appointment, praying that what we had been told was not what was happening.

Our midwives were good to us and told us that if we lost her, they would deliver her for us so we did not have to travel a much farther distance.

On May 1, 2025, our hearts broke when our daughter Faith passed away.

At this time, we went to see our midwives who escorted us to a delivery suite. Mathew watched in heartbreak as his wife Deborah sat in labor with our daughter for almost 24 hours.

On May 2, 2025, Deborah birthed our stillborn daughter, Faith Angel.

We were able to hold Faith for a few hours, get photos of her and with her taken by a professional photographer, and send her in her Daddy’s favorite flannel shirt.

We went home with broken hearts and empty arms to tell the rest of our family that our baby girl was gone.

Past our own grief, one of the hardest parts of this was telling Aaron that his baby sister is now his angel baby.

We are all grieving and doing our best to navigate during this time.

Mathew went back to work for two weeks before taking FMLA leave and being home with our family as we both need time to grieve, and I (Deborah) needed/need help with cooking, cleaning, taking care of our animals, and raising our son who’s home during my time of physical healing. We are still waiting for FMLA approval.

We have done our best to handle things personally, but we have reached the point of asking for help. Considering cremation costs, bills, and what it takes to live, we are maxed out financially.

We would like to reach out and ask for help from anyone willing. Any form of help is appreciated and a genuine blessing. Financial, prayer, a positive thought. Anything to be sent our way during our time of grief and healing would be appreciated.

Thank you is said in advance.