Trigger Warning: This article contains mentions of child loss and may be distressing for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.
Losing a child is an unimaginable tragedy, one that shakes a parent’s world to its core. The heartbreak, pain, and sorrow of such a loss can test even the strongest spirits.
For Whitney Quinton and her husband Brett, this devastating reality unfolded in the most heartbreaking way. They were forced to say goodbye to their baby girl before she could take her first breath.
According to Love What Matters, Whitney’s journey to motherhood was fraught with challenges. She spent years battling complex health conditions, including endometriosis and adenomyosis—both of which posed significant hurdles to her fertility.
After giving birth to her first son, Whitney suffered the devastating loss of a pregnancy through miscarriage. Despite the grief, she remained hopeful and determined to give her son a sibling.
Three years later, following surgery to address her endometriosis, Whitney received the news she had longed for—she was pregnant once more. But this pregnancy would bring not only hope but also heartbreak.
Whitney’s story is one of love, loss, and resilience—a journey marked by profound sorrow and courage in the face of adversity.
After the heartache of previous losses, Whitney Quinton and her husband Brett were overjoyed when they discovered they were expecting again. Their joy multiplied when an ultrasound revealed they were having a little girl. But what should have been a moment of pure happiness quickly took a devastating turn.
During the routine scan, Whitney began to sense something was wrong. The process was taking far longer than expected, and an uneasy tension filled the room.
“I started getting worked up while we waited, and my husband tried to reassure me it would be okay,” Whitney shared with Love What Matters. “But my mind was racing a thousand miles a minute, thinking about all the things that could be wrong and how scared I was.”
The joyous anticipation of meeting their baby girl was suddenly replaced by a gnawing fear, as the scan hinted that something was amiss—a fear that would soon lead to an unimaginable heartbreak.
Soon, Whitney and Brett received the devastating news that no expectant parent ever wants to hear. A radiologist entered the room and carefully began explaining their baby’s condition: their daughter’s heart was in the wrong position, she was missing a kidney, her long bones were not developing, and there were severe abnormalities in her hands and feet. Each detail was a blow that left the couple reeling.
Then came the most crushing statement of all. “You can terminate this pregnancy in the next three weeks if you are unable to handle this,” the radiologist said bluntly.
Whitney described the moment as one of complete emotional collapse. “I let out a scream I didn’t even know I was capable of,” she told Love What Matters. “I fell to my knees and kept screaming. Sheets of tears streamed down my face as my husband rubbed my back, his own tears falling.”
The days and weeks that followed were a whirlwind of pain, confusion, and difficult decisions. Exhausted and heartbroken, Whitney and Brett endured a series of tests and consultations. Doctors warned that their baby girl’s quality of life would be severely limited—if she even survived birth. Yet, despite the grim prognosis, the couple remained deeply attached to their unborn daughter.
“Day and night, my husband and I cried,” Whitney said. “We felt like we had nothing left to give. Selfishly, we wanted her. To us, she was perfect, even with all the complications. But as parents, we realized it wasn’t about us—it was about her and what she would want.”
The couple turned to their faith for guidance, praying for clarity in their impossible situation. Two days later, Whitney and Brett made the heart-wrenching decision. “We agreed that neither she nor I needed to suffer for one more minute,” Whitney said. They scheduled an induction, preparing to say goodbye to the daughter they had longed for.
The evening before her induction, Whitney faced both physical and emotional trials. Gravely ill and overwhelmed with grief, she told Brett she loved him repeatedly, fearing she might not survive the process. Despite her determination to attend a work event as a distraction, her worsening health forced her to stay home, confronting the weight of what lay ahead.
Their journey was one of unrelenting heartbreak, resilience, and love—proof of the enduring strength found in the deepest depths of sorrow.
Whitney’s experience of delivering her baby was as painful and heartbreaking as she had feared. The day brought unimaginable trauma and sorrow, marking the end of a journey filled with love, hope, and loss.
“I woke up, and the nurse came to check on me. In my sleep, our daughter, Ruby-Jo, had arrived,” Whitney recounted. “The doctor came in to pick up her tiny, 1-pound, lifeless body, and I went into complete shock.”
The moment overwhelmed her with a surge of emotions—guilt, sadness, anger, and grief all crashing down at once. But amid the heartache, her husband Brett offered her a lifeline of comfort through words that would forever echo in her heart.
“Whits, it’s okay. You did it,” he whispered. “She’s finally home, and she’s perfect. She’s with our family in Heaven, and she’s not in pain anymore. I am so proud of you.”
Those simple, yet profoundly loving words became an anchor for Whitney during her darkest moments. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the words my husband said to me that day,” she wrote. “He saved me then, and his words continue to save me daily as I battle the demons of the Earth-shattering decision we had to make for her.”
Ruby-Jo’s brief presence left an indelible mark, and the love she inspired continues to guide Whitney and Brett as they navigate life after loss—a testament to the strength of a family bound by love and resilience.
In hindsight, Whitney came to understand that her baby’s heart defect meant that Ruby-Jo likely wouldn’t have survived long outside her mother’s womb. While this realization was deeply painful, it also brought a small measure of peace.
“It was hard news to hear, but it was a relief knowing that we had made the best decision for her,” Whitney reflected in her story.
Even so, the grief of losing Ruby-Jo remains raw and ever-present. Whitney clings to her faith and the belief that her family will one day be reunited.
“She is sealed to our family, and someday in Heaven, we will all be together again,” Whitney said. “I will embrace her, and I know she will thank us for relieving her of all of her suffering. We will thank her for teaching us how to turn to God, how to have more compassion, and how to lift others up during their own tragedies.”
Ruby-Jo’s brief life left an enduring legacy of love, strength, and faith. Rest in peace, Ruby-Jo—you will always be remembered.
