They quickly tried to transport their child to the nearest emergency hospital. The results of their child's examination came in sooner than they had hoped, but the news was much worse than they could have anticipated.
She sat next to her husband, and the two of them stared up at the doctor as he described what was happening to their angel. She tried to listen to him, but her anxiety was so intense that all she could hear was a buzzing in her head.
A Year of Trying
Taylor and Jeff were overjoyed to become parents for the first time; they named their son Brian. There is no way to express how happy they are to have a baby.
To conceive Brian took them almost a year of trying. They felt inexpressible relief that it had finally occurred. The birth of Brian was a joyous moment at first, but it quickly became sad.
Big Family
The goal of Taylor and Jeff's life together was to have a large family. It was always a goal of theirs, even before they were married, to have a large family.
They had settled on a goal of having between five and six kids. They were prepared to confront the possibility head-on, despite the fact that it presented a chaotic reality.
All They Wished For
Taylor and Jeff had been married for a year when they found out they were expecting their first child. They all agreed that he was the most handsome young man they'd ever seen. Brian meant the world to them.
Brian was the perfect child for them. What a wonderful son he was. He was the kind of person who was always on the go while maintaining a beaming grin on his face. He was the epitome of a well-rounded child, with enough brains and cuteness to make any parent beam. Everything, however, was about to change for them.
Blissful Weekend
It occurred on a beautiful Sunday afternoon. Taylor and Brian were chatting it up in their room while Jeff was downstairs working on a pet project.
Taylor realized that if she didn't put Brian down for a nap after his busy day, he would be a miserable sleeper at bedtime. After she gave him a bath and some food, she put him on her bed. When she turned her back for just a second, disaster struck.
A Quiet Thump
After searching for a diaper for a split second, she heard a gentle thump on the carpet and quickly turned back around. When she looked back, she saw Brian lying on the floor. His expression showed bewilderment before he broke down sobbing.
Taylor rushed over to see whether he'd suffered any head trauma. She calmed Brian down by stroking his head’s new bump until he quit whining. But at that very time, she made the worst possible decision.
She Knew Better
As a result of her soothing him, he stopped sobbing and started to smile and coo. When Jeff heard commotion, he hurried up the stairs to investigate.
After they put Brian to sleep, Taylor tried to reassure herself that her son was well, despite her obvious concerns. However, if only she understood the truth of the situation.
His Tears Flowed
As the night progressed, she was awakened by Brian's piercing scream. She sprang out of bed and hurried to his cot, where she found him sobbing uncontrollably. His head bump has grown considerably since we last saw it.
Taylor yelled for Jeff, and he sprinted in. He glanced at Brian and hurried off to get their jackets and phones. Is it possible that they arrived to the hospital too late?
Her Mind Was Racing
They made haste to transport their child to the nearest emergency hospital. The results of their child's examination came in sooner than they had hoped, but the news was much worse than they could have anticipated.
She sat next to her husband, and the two of them stared up at the doctor as he described what was happening to their angel. She tried to listen to him, but her anxiety was so intense that all she could hear was a buzzing in her mind.
The Results of Each Test
She had hoped the doctor would tell her her child had suffered nothing more than a bump and would be alright, but the reality was far worse.
"Brian shattered his skull and half of his whole blood volume has bled into his brain," the doctor remarked as he studied the MRI results in his hands. He kept talking, but Taylor was too distracted by her own anguish to pay attention.
The Greatest Joy They’d Ever Known
Unfortunately, Taylor and Jeff's situation deteriorated rapidly in the days after their hospital stay. They'd put in a lot of hard work to get where they were, and having Brian made it all worthwhile.
He was the greatest joy in their lives, and they worried about his well-being. When they left, they had already checked Brian into the hospital, and the agony of being separated from him only intensified with time.
The Hospital Became Their Second Home
Brian was in the hospital for another whole week. Taylor and Jeff would stay with him as much as possible, only leaving for short periods of time to take showers and go to work. The truth was that they were always on edge because of their son's illness.
The hospital was still doing scans to determine Brian's best course of therapy. When Taylor asked whether her kid would be okay, the worst possible response was always given.
The Worst Feeling
The physicians assured them, "We are doing all we can." Taylor's fear was already palpable, but those words doubled its intensity.
She worried that her kid wouldn't make it until she heard the ultimate prognosis on Brian's condition. She was unsure whether he would be immobilized physically or cognitively. When she realized how many different outcomes were possible, she began to cry. What else could a mother do?
A Parent’s Worst Fear
The wait was the most excruciating experience of Jeff and Taylor's lives. Like a broken record, she played each possible outcome over and over in her mind.
All sorts of "what if" scenarios were running through her head. What if she had never turned her back on him? What if she had gotten to Brian sooner? She asked herself these questions over and over, but she knew they were pointless.
No Updates For Days
All Taylor could tell at the time was that Brian was only partially stable. There was no use in asking about his condition since it was too late.
Although she made an effort to maintain an upbeat attitude, any parent in a similar situation would know that it's next to impossible to avoid negative thoughts. Taylor and Jeff, who were not very religious, started praying while the physicians continued to operate on Brian.
Their First Born
The fact that Brian was their first and only child despite their hopes for a large family just added insult to injury. His presence signaled the first step in actualizing their greatest dream.
To put it simply, they could not have dreamed of a more ideal son. The time had come for them to contemplate the worst case scenarios.
Time Passed Slowly
The days continued to tick by without any improvement for Brian. Taylor had never thought that her tear ducts could be so overflowing. Each and every day she cried about the situation.
Her moods alternated everyday between being cheerful and optimistic and being miserable and lost. Eventually, as the hours and days wore on, a far worse feeling took over.
Her Attitude Shifted
Taylor wept till she could no longer contain her sobs. On many occasions, she felt as if her sanity was on the verge of being completely lost.
Perhaps as a protective measure, she started to feel numb over time. When compared to the agony, sadness, tension, and terror that had preceded it, this was much worse.
Down On Herself
Taylor hated herself for how she felt when she was numb. At times, she seemed robotically emotionless, plodding through the hours with a chilling lack of concern.
At times she felt like a zombie, disconnected from the world and living in a soulless limbo as she waited for news. Sometimes she knew she needed to pull herself together, yet doing so filled her with dread.
She Couldn’t Show Any More Emotion
Taylor was scared that she would once again get overwhelmed by her negative feelings if she gave them any space.
She was desperate, torn between the twin fears of oversensitivity and not showing any emotion at all, and she sought solace from an unexpected place.
They Needed Support
In contrast to what most people would do, Jeff had been writing about his loss. Taylor seldom caught him showing emotion, so he must have been doing better.
Taylor was unable to determine the positive or negative implications of this development. Soon, she became puzzled about Jeff's mental state. Worse, she was unsure of her feelings for him or whether or not she could rely on him.
The Worst Possible Outcome
In a way, it was the worst possible reality of the situation. Prior to Brian’s accident, Taylor and Jeff seemed like any other happy couple. They were making plans for a future together.
Those hopes were in ruins now. Their shared sorrow had already rendered them helpless. Taylor was ashamed to admit it, but she was also rather enraged. There were periods of time that she couldn't bear to be in the same room with Jeff.
Their Emotions Weren’t On the Same Level
Taylor was aware of the well-known grieving process known as "the five phases." She was unsure whether this was the usual or not. This level of sadness was beyond anything she had ever imagined experiencing, so she had never given it any attention.
At times, she would look at Jeff and wish she could handle things as well as he did. However, she couldn't help but wonder whether he was just being brave.
Heavy Feelings
Taylor was certain that Jeff loved his kid as much as she did. In spite of his outward composure, she realized he, too, was suffering an internal heartbreak.
As the days passed and Jeff maintained his composure, Taylor started to fret for a different reason. To be honest, she hadn't given much thought to the sensation before, but now she was terrified it was really accurate.
She Felt Guilty
Taylor was concerned that Jeff would hold her responsible for what occurred since Brian was under her care at the time. For a long time, she was at odds with this emotion.
Finally, she mustered all her remaining bravery as the suspense became too much to bear. She approached him hesitantly and asked whether or not that was true.
They Were In this Together
Jeff reassured Taylor that he didn't hold her responsible for their problems. He had no doubt that she would protect his son at any costs. He encouraged her and emphasized the need of being together and powerful.
Seeing their son hooked up to machines and breathing equipment every day devastated both of their hearts. The physician eventually emerged from the shadows and said that the lab results were available.
Traumatic Situation
Because of the damage done to Brian's brain, his prognosis for the future was murky at best. The hospital released Brian once he and Taylor and Jeff had adjusted to his therapy.
They included dietary changes, exercise, and other forms of mental stimulation. Tragically, despite the couple's best efforts, it was too late.
They Lost Their Only Child
Taylor and Jeff, along with their respective families, tried all they could to save their kid, but he ultimately passed away. Taylor had a firm grasp on the situation.
Even though she often thought she was going crazy, Taylor did finally start looking for methods to deal with and accept what had occurred. It was only when she discovered she could aid others that she found some solace in her situation.
Letting the World Know
Taylor, whose heart was broken by the death of her son, realized she had to tell her tale. She did this in the hopes that other parents would learn the hard way how easily an accident can be caused by a lapse in focus.
She felt that Brian's brief life would not have been in vain if their story might save another family from the same sorrow. Her family's tragedy went viral on social media, and many others came to share in their sorrow.
An Angel
She knows the ache of Brian's loss will lessen with time, but she still thinks about him often. Taylor and Jeff did go on to have more children, so it was still possible for them to have the large family they had always discussed.
But no matter how many good things occurred, their lives would never be completely happy. The couple felt they would never be able to forget the first precious child they were lucky enough to have.