Letters to Bree

At a 12-week routine screening during our second pregnancy, a result came back that our daughter, Bree, was high-risk for a genetic condition. At 16-weeks, we received confirmation that Bree had a rare chromosomal disorder called Trisomy 13 or Patau's Syndrome. After hours of online research, one statistic stood out: the average life expectancy for a child with Trisomy 13 is 7 to 10 days.

A diagnosis of Trisomy 13 means that Bree has an extra chromosome 13 which can lead to severe effects on her neurodevelopmental and physical outcomes. This condition is known to be life-limiting - whether we would spend an hour, a day, a week, months, or years with her was unknown to us.

The feelings I had did not fall neatly into "bad" or "good" emotions. They existed within the cracks on the edge of words like "grief" and "joy". So, days before her birth, not knowing if I'd even get a chance to meet her, I decided to write a letter to Bree, knowing she'll likely never read it.

Fortunately, Bree is exceeding all expectations in life and as of today Bree is 7-months old. I plan on continuing to write letters to her.