After this, mom had two miscarriages. She gave up hope. But then she saw her baby on Facebook. When one mom suffered two miscarriages in a matter of months, she almost gave up hope of expanding her family. However, that’s when she saw a baby on Facebook and she knew he was meant to be hers. Anita and Eric Mirin came from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The couple got married in 2011, and by 2016 were parents to a little girl named Scarlett. However, that year, they discovered they were expecting a new addition to their young family.
The couple was pregnant with a baby boy and excited by the prospect of giving Scarlet a little brother. Then, at their 20-week scan, doctors realized their baby named Jack had down syndrome. Those with a genetic condition tend to have some level of learning disability and certain physical features. Although Anita would love Jack, no matter what, the diagnosis came as a shock, it’s hard to admit, but I was devastated, she told WMZ 13 in August 2017. I didn’t know what that meant. All I heard was he’s going to be different.
But despite their initial shock, the Mirren’s began preparing for life with their son
They researched his condition and found local families who also had children with special needs. However, just as they began to accept their reality, tragedy struck.
The couple suffered a devastating miscarriage
Part of me was like, this really can’t be happening to me, Anita recalled. Like the shock came into my mind and then they could not find his heartbeat. Jack had died due to umbilical cord complications, but Anita would still have to give birth to him. That was the hardest part for me, she admitted. Because I wanted so badly for him to just open his eyes. I would just stare at him and say, Open your eyes. Come on, you can come back alive.
Following Jack’s death, Anita and Eric worked hard to rebuild their lives
Then, months later, the couple found out they were expecting once more. Once again, it was a boy, so they named this unborn child William. But again, the pregnancy was far from straightforward. Doctors diagnosed William with Edward’s syndrome. The syndrome is a serious genetic condition that impedes a baby’s development and can cause miscarriages and stillbirths. However, despite the seriousness of William’s condition, his parents refused to give up hope. I went through this whole period believing that lightning doesn’t strike the same place twice, Anita revealed.
It’s not going to happen to me. We’re going to have a happy baby
But the couple’s five-month checkup confirmed Little William had suffered the same awful fate as his brother. Doctors could not find his heartbeat. So once again, they induced Anita’s Labor and helped her deliver her stillborn child the experience of the last few months had proved too much for the murine. From that moment on, they vowed not to get pregnant again. Although they wanted more children, they couldn’t deal with the heartache of another miscarriage.
Instead, they looked into adoption. However, this route had its challenges, too. I realized that there were so many families almost competing for every healthy child, Eric explained, and then, on the other end of it, there are so many special needs children that are desperate for good homes. But undeterred. The couple began the arduous process of applying to adopt a number of different children. However, all their efforts came to nothing. The Marans, no doubt felt like the world was against them. But then their luck began to change.
It all began when Anita’s friend sent her a Facebook post reading
Baby Z Needs a Home. The post was by a North Carolina caseworker who was looking for a home for a newborn. The baby had hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, a rare birth defect, and they were looking for a family willing to adopt a baby with special needs. Because Anita and Eric had already prepared for life looking after a child with down syndrome, they knew they could offer the child support. So they applied to adopt the baby, and just three days later, the child went home with them.
Caseworkers chose the couple from a selection of 75 applicants
They named their new son Warren, and they committed themselves to stand by him no matter what his medical future had in store. Miranda felt prepared for the challenges they had ahead. However, they credited their two late sons for inspiring them to accept a child with special needs. If it wasn’t for Jack and Michael, they may never have even applied to adopt Warren. When we wrapped him up in our arms, we didn’t see special needs, Anita revealed.
We didn’t think that this is going to be a kid who had disabilities or who’s putting us out in any way. We are just so honored to be a part of his journey. So after all their heartache, Anita and Eric finally grew their family, giving Scarlett a little brother in the process. Now they have given Warren the best possible start in life. And given their prior experiences, they have the strength to handle anything life throws at them.