An expectant mom in Kansas recently received heartbreaking news from doctors.
She was told one of her unborn twins will not survive.
The family is now holding on to a sonogram picture that warmed everyone’s heart.
Ian and Brittani McIntire did not plan on having any more kids, much less twins.
"We went in for our six-week sonogram and they just said, ‘There’s one heartbeat, and here’s another," Brittani said.
From shock, to excitement, to hearing news no parent expects.
With a hole in his heart and an abnormal brain, one baby was not growing like he should.
"He’s only weighing nine ounces and his sister is over two pounds," Brittani said. "His only chance of survival would be heart surgery but they wouldn’t do heart surgery because of his brain."
At each appointment it’s been more bad news, until Tuesday, when the doctors captured a heartwarming sonogram.
"We didn’t really see much, she said, ‘There’s his hand and there’s here hand and it looks like they’re holding hands," Brittani said.
Baby Mason could be seen on the left of the photo, his tiny hand wrapped around the finger of growing sister Madilyn.
"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 said.
Because Mason may never get to know his twin or family, this special moment of sibling bonding before birth is something these parents said is no coincidence.
"We know we have a piece of them together that will last forever and it’s special to have," Ian said.
"It’s just nice with everything going on I know I’m holding him, I’m carrying him, but I just want to be there for him and not knowing and 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.