This is my sister, Alexandra (Allie) Edmonds' story, that I have been experiencing firsthand with her since Thanksgiving evening. She has allowed me to share it now, due to her hopefully being able to go home soon. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers.

Nothing could have prepared Allie for the heartbreak she is now living. At 36 weeks pregnant—just days away from holding her son in her arms—she learned that her precious baby boy, C.J., had passed. Named after her late brother, C.J. was meant to bring healing, hope, and new life into a family already touched by loss. Instead, Allie was forced to say goodbye before she ever got the chance to say hello. What should have been a moment filled with joy became a moment that shattered her world.

Since then, Allie has been hospitalized for a week with severe complications, fighting not only for her physical recovery but for the strength to face each day without the little boy she had already loved so fiercely. Her body is healing slowly; her heart will take far longer. At home waits her 1.5-year-old daughter, who doesn’t understand why mommy is gone or why tears come so easily now. Allie carries the weight of wanting to be strong for her, even while she is broken in ways she never imagined.

On top of the grief and the medical challenges, the financial toll has become overwhelming. Allie now faces the painful responsibility of planning memorial services for her baby—a task no mother should ever have to bear. Meanwhile, everyday bills continue to pile up while she cannot work or return to her normal routine. The stress of simply trying to stay afloat threatens to drown her when she is already struggling to breathe through her grief.

We are asking for help—any help—to lift some of this impossible weight from Allie’s shoulders. Every donation, no matter the size, will go directly toward giving baby C.J. the dignified farewell he deserves (if and when she chooses to!) and helping her to cover essential living costs as she recovers. Your kindness will give her the space to grieve, to heal, and to hold on during the darkest chapter of her life. Thank you for opening your heart to her family.