Katie and Josh Butler were so excited to welcome their baby into the world.
But when this couple from Nashville, Tennessee arrived for their routine 20-week check-up, doctors found in an ultrasound that there was an unknown concern with their baby’s development that could pose serious risks.
Soon, their baby was born – a son named Dewey – but he had to rushed to the NICU as doctors worked to save his life from an unknown cause.
But after 132 days, little Dewey passed away in the midst of a routine operation to fit a feeding tube to him surgically.
Katie and Josh were heartbroken, but little did they know that the universe had plans for them involving someone just one floor above them in the hospital.
A nurse from the NICU who Katie and Josh had grown close to gave them a call one day which took them by surprise.
She remembered that the Butlers had expressed interest in fostering, and on the 5th floor of the hospital was a young baby boy named Brax.
He had pulmonary hypertension, chronic respiratory failure, and tracheomalacia, and in all his 11 months of life he had never left the hospital, remaining attached to a trach-vent.
His parents had abandoned him as they could not care for him, but doctors believed Brax’s conditions would slowly improve as he grew.
The moment Katie and Josh met Brax, it was love at first sight.
They brought him home and fostered him, and the moment he was in their house and with a loving family, all of his conditions showed steady improvement.
It was as though being surrounded by love and care helped to heal him.
In September 2017, Katie and Josh adopted Brax officially.
Although they miss Dewey and still feel his loss, they are glad that he is free from suffering and understand that his loss helped to make space for someone who needed them.
What a beautiful story!