It’s a heartbreaking sonogram, but for a pregnant mom, it’s solace in knowing her dying son isn’t alone.
Brittani and Ian McIntire’s unborn twins — one with a hole in his heart and abnormal brain — were captured holding hands in Brittani’s womb.
The couple learned they were having twins during their six-week check-up when doctors heard two heartbeats.
They decided to name their son, Mason, and their daughter, Madilyn, according to ABC.
But as their pregnancy went on, their shock and excitement quickly turned to tragedy. Their unborn son is facing severe medical issues — while his twin sister weighs two pounds, he’s only at nine ounces.
READ MORE: Heartbreaking images of baby dying of meningitis revealed by parents to raise vaccination awareness
Their son may make it to delivery, but his only option is heart surgery. The parents say doctors aren’t recommending it because the baby is also dealing with brain development concerns.
At a checkup, the doctor handed a sonogram to the parents that they say is comforting them during a difficult time. Little Mason’s hand is wrapped around his sister’s.
“Most twins when she’s trying to take pictures and stuff, they’re kicking each other and hitting each other, and she said with our twins, it seems like she was very protective over him,” Brittani told Kansas reporters at KWCH.
Her husband, Ian, said it’s a snapshot the family will hang onto.
“We know we have a piece of them together that will last forever and it’s special to have,” he told U.S. media outlets.
“I just want to be there for him…she’s the only one who can actually be there and holding onto him through it, and so it’s comforting to know that if he does pass, he won’t be alone,” Brittani said.
carmen.chai@globalnews.ca
Follow @Carmen_Chai
Comments