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Rhae Brienne
Rhae Brienne with her moms by NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer Lacey Sexson
On August 26, 2024, we heard the words no parent should ever hear — there was no heartbeat. Our daughter, Rhae Brienne, was stillborn at 32 weeks and 6 days on August 27, 2024, at 10:50 p.m. She weighed 4 lbs 5.3 oz and was 17 ½ inches long. She was perfect.
Rhae had two true knots in her umbilical cord. In a way, that gave us “physical answers,” but it didn’t ease the pain. We were still left with so many questions — the kind of questions that will never truly have answers.
When Rhae was born, she looked exactly like her mama. In the hours we had with her, we soaked in every detail of her face, her hands, her little feet. Our nurses gently mentioned that there was someone who could come and take photographs. At first, we said we only wanted pictures of Rhae — not of us with her. It felt too raw, too painful.
But then Lacey arrived.
From the moment she walked into our room, she brought a sense of calm and understanding that we didn’t even know we needed. We told her our wishes, and she gently looked at us and said, “I promise, you want them.”
She stayed with us for an hour. She sat with us, heart to …