I am writing this to spread awareness, to make sure that my daughter’s life will continue to make a difference and to start a conversation about cytomegalovirus.

“No matter the outcome, we knew her little life would have impact, and it did. She changed my life. She changed the lives of our families and countless friends, too.”

“Every moment of pain and sadness, from the time we found out about the diagnosis until the second I delivered our daughter, was all worth it once we got to hold her.”

“My decision to carry Jairus Esai to term changed my life for the better. I learned how to love outside of myself and to be a more caring person.”

“Our decision to carry to term has changed our lives immeasurably. Though I finally knew what it felt like to carry a child, I would not have known the joy of being a mother had I not carried to term.”

“I will never regret the chance at life that I gave Dylan, despite the ups and downs, because I got to know the most special little girl. She will always have a place in my heart. She defied the odds because I decided to carry to term.”

“This little girl, who never even took a breath of air, transformed my life so dramatically and helped me reconnect with the truth of my life: people have always turned to me to aid in their healing.”

“This is hard in so many ways, but mostly because you don’t want to forget that you did this amazing thing. You carried a baby who was sick and fragile and heaven bound. It will be the bravest and most incredible thing I will ever do in my lifetime. And I don’t ever want to forget our Eden.”