Photo: Packer Family Photography
“We feel so blessed to have her,” Patricia, 30, tells PEOPLE of her wife Kimberly, 37, and their 2-week-old daughter London. “She’s calm at most times, and a little feisty when she’s hungry. I don’t have the words to express it, she’s just so amazing.”
Courtesy O’Neill Family
“It’s a good representation of our journey,” Patricia tells PEOPLE of the photo. “It’s inspiring to hear other women sharing their stories on a topic that’s kind of taboo. It’s been great to see some women that are like, ‘You’re giving us hope to get through this.’ Because you truly need that.
“Sometimes when you’re at it alone, you need to know that someone’s been able to get there, and they’ve had struggles too. You’ve gotta persevere through them.”
“It was amazing to see them all laid out. To look at them all and go, ‘Man, I was able to do that. I was able to get through that,’ ” Patricia says, recalling the moment she first saw the display during the photo shoot. “My wife and I looked at them and we started tearing up.”
Packer says seeing the women’s reactions to the display warmed her heart.
“It was really special because when they walked into the room and saw it all laid out, they got really emotional,” she tells PEOPLE. “And that’s what I love to do as a photographer is create something special for my clients that they really are gonna treasure.”
The photo marked the end of a journey that began more than four years ago, when Patricia and Kimberly — who both have one child each from previous relationships — decided they wanted to complete their family with one more little one.
The couple decided that Patricia would give birth to the infant but the couple soon learned that a pair of blood conditions would make it difficult for Patricia to carry a child to term.
Patricia underwent several fertility treatments and in vitro fertilization (IVF). However, in 2016, she suffered two miscarriages.
Then, in 2017, Patricia suffered a third miscarriage. At that point, Patricia says, she was ready to give up.
“I was done. I was done poking and prodding myself. I was done with all the doctors visits. I was throwing in the towel,” she says. “My wife and my mom, they pushed me to do it.”
And she did. Doctors transferred the couple’s last embryo and Patricia became pregnant, but says that neither she nor Kimberly could allow themselves to get too excited, telling PEOPLE, “We held our breath. It was very scary. Throughout the pregnancy, we were always on the edge of our seat.”
With that, the O’Neills were filled with joy when they welcomed London via a C-section.
source: people.com
