We Celebrated Every Heartbeat and Braced Ourselves for Every "What If" - by Cori Harris

Ruth. Her name means compassion, friendship, and steadfast love. We chose it because it felt gentle yet strong. A name rooted in faith, loyalty, and quiet courage. We had no idea at the time just how perfectly it would fit our girl.

At our very first ultrasound, my husband Bryce and I learned that Ruth had Turner syndrome. Along with that diagnosis came words no parent is prepared to hear; that she had, at most, a 3% chance of survival. In that moment, everything changed. Fear, grief, hope, and faith all collided at once. The pregnancy that followed was one of deep stress and deep love.

Each high-risk appointment brought excitement just to see her, paired with the heavy knowledge that these ultrasounds were actually quality-of-life checks. We lived in the space between gratitude and anxiety, celebrating every heartbeat while bracing ourselves for every “what if.”

And then, on October 7th, 2024, our sweet Ruth entered the world, perfect and healthy. Her Turner syndrome test was positive, but so was everything else about her. From the very beginning, she proved stronger than every statistic placed on her life. Since then, that positive test has meant many doctor visits and appointments with specialists. It has meant learning a new language of medicine and trusting providers who have shown us such knowledge, patience, and care.

It has also meant finding a community in a group of incredible women who also have daughters with Turner syndrome, who speak from lived experience, and offer comfort that feels familiar instead of clinical. Most importantly, it has meant Bryce and I placing our full faith in God, trusting that He will continue to care for our girl just as He always has.

Ruth is beautiful, funny, smart, loving, and wonderfully silly. She loves Elmo, books, and her stuffed alligator. She fills our home with laughter and joy in ways we never could have imagined. We are blessed to know her but even more than that, we are blessed to call her ours.