My husband and I have been together for nearly ten years, and for eight of those, we’ve been on the long and emotional journey of trying to conceive. Becoming a mother has always been my greatest dream — something I carried deep in my heart for as long as I can remember. But early on, I began to realize that this dream wouldn’t come easily. We tried everything — treatments, medications, all while holding onto hope.
In 2023, I made the difficult decision to pause everything else in my life and focus completely on our path to becoming parents. That’s when I met Dr. Omurtag, and for the first time in a long time, I felt true hope again. We had a successful IUI, and I can’t put into words the joy we felt. It was our miracle — something we’d prayed for and longed for with everything in us. Week after week, the pregnancy was going beautifully. Our family and friends celebrated every milestone with us. It was finally happening — I was going to be a mom. But at 36 weeks, without any warning, our world shattered. I will never forget the words: “We can’t find a heartbeat.” Everything went black. I remember trying to walk out of the clinic, numb, broken, and filled with a pain I didn’t know was humanly possible. I walked into the hospital with a heart so heavy, I didn’t know if I could survive it. On February 28th, 2024, at 4:12 PM, our precious daughter, Audra Jean, was born sleeping. She was perfect — the most beautiful face I had ever seen. In those sacred hours we held her, surrounded by love and family, I knew she was everything I had ever prayed for. This past year has been the hardest of our lives. There are days when just breathing takes everything I have. But through it all, I’ve held onto God — even when I felt like giving up. Even in the darkness, I’ve chosen to believe that He is holding our girl until the day I get to hear her say, “Mama.”
Then, in August 2024, something completely unexpected happened. I was sitting in a board meeting when I finally received an iMessage from my husband that simply said, CALL ME. I hadn’t had service all day, and I immediately panicked, thinking the worst. I rushed downstairs and called him. His voice shook as he told me, “A doctor called. They have a baby for adoption.” I ran home, and we went straight to the hospital — tears pouring down our faces the whole way. When we arrived, we were met by some of the same staff who had delivered our angel just months earlier. And then we saw him — the most precious little boy.
It was love at first sight. We instantly bonded with his birth family, who welcomed us with such warmth and love. I’ll never forget when his birth mother said, “I knew halfway through my pregnancy this child wasn’t meant for me. God needed me to bring him into the world for someone else to be his parents.” I bawled. That moment — halfway through her pregnancy — was the exact time I lost my baby girl. It was as if the heavens had aligned. I truly believe God sent this child to us, and that our daughter in Heaven had a hand in it. I’m not sharing our story for sympathy, but in faith — that maybe someone out there who’s struggling needs to hear this: Don’t give up. No matter how dark life gets, don’t turn away from God. We’re now praying for another chance to grow our family once more. We’ve faced overwhelming emotional and financial challenges, and it would be an absolute blessing to receive support as we pursue fertility treatments again. We still believe in miracles. We still believe in hope.
– The Farley Family
The FARLEY family has given prior consent to share their story and image with WashU Medicine and Barnes-Jewish Hospital for informational and promotional purposes.
