Experiencing a miscarriage is one of the most painful and heartbreaking events a person can endure. It brings immense grief, sadness, and often guilt.

Many parents experience shock and disbelief upon learning of the miscarriage, struggling to process the devastating news. Suddenly, it feels like all their dreams have shattered. Anxiety about future pregnancies adds to the difficulty.

Unfortunately, many couples go through this devastating experience. Though each person deals with the loss in their own way, the pain is almost always profound and enduring.

Whitney Quinton and her husband Brett had a son but dreamed of having more children. Whitney faced health issues, including endometriosis, which made conceiving again difficult. After some years and a miscarriage, she finally became pregnant and hoped for the best.

In the first few weeks, everything seemed normal. However, during a regular check-up, Whitney waited unusually long for the scans, signaling that something was wrong.

“I started getting worked up while we waited, and my husband tried to reassure me it would be okay,” she told Love What Matters. “My mind was going a thousand miles a minute, thinking about all the things she could have and how scared I was.”

The news was devastating. Their daughter’s heart was in the wrong place, she was missing a kidney, and her long bones weren’t growing. Scans showed severe abnormalities with her limbs.

“[The radiologist] then stated in very direct terms, ‘You can terminate this pregnancy in the next three weeks if you are unable to handle this,’” Whitney wrote. “I let out a scream I didn’t even know I was capable of. I fell to my knees, kept screaming, and had tears streaming down my face. My husband continued to rub my back while he too wept.”

The following weeks were extremely difficult both physically and emotionally. Whitney underwent numerous tests, all showing that if their daughter survived, her quality of life would be very low.

“Day and night, my husband and I cried. We felt like we had nothing left to give. Selfishly, we wanted her. To us, she was perfect despite her health complications. But as parents, you learn that it’s not about what’s best for you, it’s about what’s best for her and what she would want.”

They prayed for clarity about their decision. “Two days later, we agreed that neither she nor I needed to suffer for one more minute. The induction was scheduled for a few days later. The evening came for me to take the medication to induce labor. I would be delivering her the next day.”

Whitney’s delivery was painful and traumatic. “I woke up, and the nurse came to check on me. In my sleep, our daughter, Ruby-Jo, had arrived,” she wrote. “The doctor came in to pick up her tiny, 1-pound, lifeless body, and I went into complete shock.”

Overwhelmed by sadness, anger, and guilt, Whitney found solace in her husband’s words. “Whits, it’s okay. You did it,” he told her. “She’s finally home and she’s perfect. She’s with our family in Heaven, and she’s not in pain anymore. I am so proud of you.”

“Not a day has gone by that I don’t think about the words my husband said to me that day,” Whitney wrote. “He saved me then, and his words continue to save me daily when I fight demons with the Earth-shattering decision we had to make for her.”

“She is sealed to our family, and someday in Heaven, we will all be reunited,” Whitney wrote. “I will embrace her, and I know she will thank us for relieving her of all of her suffering. We will thank her for teaching us how to turn to God, to have more compassion, and to be there for others during tragedies to lift them up.”

Our hearts go out to this family for all they have endured.