INDIANAPOLIS (NEXSTAR) — A mother is sharing a heartbreaking story regarding the loss of her newborn baby girl.
Brooke Martin is an evening news anchor at WISH-TV in Indianapolis.
In October, Martin’s baby-to-be was diagnosed with anencephaly. Anencephaly is a rare condition where the baby’s skull does not develop. The CDC says the condition happens in only three of every 10,000 births.
The diagnosis is fatal.
In November, Martin made the diagnosis public.
“We found out it’s a girl, but she has zero chance of survival. We decided to carry her long term or as long as she survives,” Martin said at the time.
Martin and her husband Cole said their faith helped them get through.
“We have named her. Her name is Emma Noelle. Together, it sounds like Emmanuel, which means ‘God is with us,'” Martin said.
Emma Noelle was born on Friday, March 15.
She survived for 21 minutes.
“Her perfect lips. Her sweet button nose. Her pretty eyes. Her big feet and long fingers. Her chubby thighs and soft skin,” Martin said in a Facebook post. “These are [the] things I’ll remember about our Emma Noelle. Those, and so much more.”
The couple said they were able to tell Emma Noelle all the things they had been waiting for.
“Jesus is ready to hold you, Emma Noelle,” the couple told their daughter. “You can go, sweet girl.”
Baby Emma Noelle was able to hear her mother’s voice and meet big brother Max. She passed away in the arms of her father.
“I am confident she felt loved,” Martin said. “Just as much, I’m confident that Cole and I have felt loved; by Emma, by you, by our Heavenly Father.”
Martin’s station has been receiving an overwhelming amount of calls and emails in support of her family. If you would like so send Martin a card, she can be reached at:
Brooke Martin
1950 N. Meridian St.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
You can also send Martin a message on her Facebook page.
Martin and her husband have invited the central Indiana community to a celebration of life at Traders Point Christian Church in Whitestown on April 27 at 10 a.m.
