The most heartbreaking sonogram

Is it possible for something to be so sad and yet so beautiful at the same time? This heartbreaking sonogram of a dying twin holding his sister’s hand makes us say yes.

Ian and Brittani Mclntire from Hutchinson, Kansas, were so excited when they found out they were pregnant with twins. That excitement soon turned to sadness, however, when they got the news that their baby boy likely wouldn’t make it. The couple was told that baby Mason had a hole in his heart and his brain was developing abnormally.

“He’s only weighing nine ounces and his sister is over two pounds—so big size difference,” Brittani says. “His only chance of survival would be heart surgery but they wouldn’t do heart surgery on him because of his brain.”

During a follow-up appointment, the doctor showed the Mclntires their baby boy holding on to his sister, Madilyn’s, finger. 

“I know I’m holding him, I’m carrying him, but I just want to be there for him,” Brittani says. “And she’s the only one who can actually be there and holding onto him through it, so it’s comforting to know that if he does pass he won’t be alone.”

We're also glad he isn't alone.

Read more:
Two little, too soon: One mom's story of her preemie twins
When your child is born with a significant birth defect