It’s funny how life works because I never thought once in my life that I’d be here doing this process.

I’m here today asking family and friends for help and assistance in being able to raise money for my sweet daughter, Penelope’s funeral. It was on 8/8/2024 when I went to my specialist for my usual echo to check on P and see how she was doing and that’s when I was told my baby no longer had a heartbeat. Like any mother/ parent would do my heart immediately broke. I didn’t believe what I was being told, I thought it was a cruel joke. So much so that I had to ask the tech if she was joking with me. The cries I let out that morning still linger in my thoughts. Something that I never thought would happen to me, but sadly that’s life I guess. At 16 weeks gestation Penelope was diagnosed with a hole in her heart. At 20 weeks it was confirmed it was a large hole and we were sent to a pediatric cardiologist. I went in at 21 weeks with my google research thinking it wouldn’t be anything so bad, she’ll be fine. She may need to have a small procedure but she’s gonna be okay. Come to find out that wasn’t the case, I was told that P was diagnosed with congenital heart disease. When her heart formed it didn’t form correctly. After crying so much and grieving those news and trying to process it we had an appointment with her heart surgeon where he told me she had a 90% chance of life. Of course once she was born for the first few years of her life she would have to have quite a few procedures. But regardless he was positive everything would be okay with her and of course we felt better hearing those news. And then just a week later on that awful morning I found out my baby’s heart no longer was beating. The doctor also checked the ultrasound and that’s where I was told that she had fluid in her little stomach, lungs and heart. She had succumbed to heart failure. Something I wasn’t prepared for or expecting to hear. Now here I am waiting to deliver my baby who’s passed inside of me while also planning her funeral. It’s crazy how fast things changed when I was just planning for her baby shower, invites had been sent, things were bought for her party and all for it to turn around in the matter of seconds, hours, days?

I truly can’t say that I know what God’s plan for us is but I never figured it be this. But as we continue I’m not mad at him. I know he probably had better things for her in store and if that’s the case then I full heartedly turn my baby over to him. I know she’s in a better place now but that doesn’t take away the hurt, it will never take away the grief, all the plans we had for her with us in this life.

Once again I’m sorry to be doing this, it’s not something I would have expected. But here we are, and I understand times are not easy at all right now. That’s why I ask if you can donate anything possible even a $1 and if not a prayer please. Please keep me and my family in your prayers, I ask for strength for Sebastian, myself, and Robert. Overall for Sebastian, which my baby was so excited to meet his baby sister. Something he longed to have for so long and sadly he also lost that. In this pain I’m not alone. Please don’t stop praying for us and thank you.