The Story of Maxwell

   Baby Maxwell “Max” Eichhorn by NILMDTS Affiliated Photographer Jenn Haley

On March 4th, 2024, we found out we were expecting our second child. Our first born, Frankie, was just 11 months old. My husband, Frank, and I were so excited to have our children close in age and to watch them grow up together. My entire pregnancy was typical and uneventful. The only concern came during the 20-week anatomy scan when we learned that the baby had fetal renal pyelectasis. The measurements were slightly off, and the condition was noted again during a follow-up scan at 28 weeks. However, the doctors reassured us that this was extremely common during pregnancy and nothing to worry about. We continued counting down the days, eagerly anticipating our new arrival.

As we got closer to the due date, we started preparing the nursery. The furniture was all set up, but we hadn’t yet decorated, as we still didn’t know the baby’s gender.

The evening of September 23rd was just like any other. The baby was moving around a lot, as usual, especially after I had my snacks. Frank even felt the baby moving that night, just like he had countless times before. Little did we know, this would be the last time we’d feel those familiar, joyful movements.

In the early morning of September 24th, I was woken up by an uncomfortable sensation in my stomach. It …