In 2014, Cindy and Bob Haggerton suffered a tragic loss when their third child, Evans passed away from Potter syndrome just three hours after his birth. The following year, the Haggertons received not one but two rainbow baby blessings. They adopted their first baby boy named Tate and shortly after Cindy was surprised to learn she was pregnant again! She gave birth to a boy named Whitten.
But what is a “rainbow baby”? According to The Huffington Post, it’s “a child born after a miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal death or infant loss.” In honor of the little ones, Cindy and baby photographer Natasha Hance captured a beautiful photo of Tate and Whitten on ending clouds of a rainbow blanket. The small, graceful butterfly that floats above them pays tribute to their brother in heaven.
Hance tells Parents.com, “[Cindy] told me they wanted to do something ‘rainbow’ because [Tate and Whitten] are definitely the rainbow at the end of the storm.”
A brother lost, a brother adopted, and a brother born – this heartwarming photograph signifies an accurate representation of what the Haggerton family persevered through. This family underwent a long journey in this tumultuous storm, but with the infectious laughs of Tate and Whitten on fluffy clouds ,the Haggertons are reminded that, after hard times, joy is still possible.