Our family's journey
The Breinholt Family
Elliott, Lisa, Jayden, *Baby, *Mason, Hayley, *Asher, McKenzie (*Our Angel Babies)
Lisa and Elliott met in the summer of 2007 while attending an institute of religion class in Orem, UT. They were married in the Jordan River Temple in March 2008. During the first part of their married life, Lisa worked as a senior caregiver at Aspen Senior Care. Elliott worked full-time as an electrical designer while attending night school at Utah Valley University. Elliott graduated with an Associate of Science, an Associate of Applied Science in Drafting Technology, and a Bachelor of Science in Technology Management.
From 2016 to 2022, their family grew in number with the birth of each of their six children through the miracle of fertility treatments (IVF) and one spontaneous pregnancy. Over the course of four years, the Breinholt family has experienced the heart-wrenching loss of three of their children, each with a unique story, as well as the passing of Lisa’s father in 2022 from a rare form of urethral cancer.
In 2021, Elliott recognized a need in the loss community as parents expressed a desire to replicate their baby’s plaster molds. Throughout the Summer and Fall of 2021, Elliott researched and tested several scanning methods for plaster molds. With the help of Asher’s tiny 13-week gestational molds and Mason’s full-term molds, it was determined that photogrammetry would be an appropriate scanning method, and MSLA printing would provide high-quality and durable resin prints.
On December 6, 2021, My Angel Prints was established with the mission to serve bereaved families in Utah by providing a means of replicating the original plaster molds of their loved ones who have passed. Elliott is committed to providing compassionate and high-quality services to bereaved families, driven by personal experience and a deep desire to help others.
Infertility Journey
In 2014, a letter from my sister, sharing her journey through infertility treatments to become pregnant with her daughters, prompted us to explore our own challenges. Six years into our marriage without a pregnancy, we began testing and diagnosing in 2014. Following three unsuccessful IUI treatments in 2015, we made the decision to pursue IVF. In November 2015, we embarked on our first IVF cycle.
Pictured here are the seven embryos that continued their growth to day 5. Within this group are the beginnings of our precious children—Jayden, Baby, Mason, Hayley, and McKenzie. Asher’s story unfolds later as a spontaneous pregnancy. For our first IVF cycle, we transferred two embryos, resulting in a pregnancy that blessed us with the joy of our son, Jayden.
Our son Jayden
In August 2016 our first child Jayden was born, thanks to the miracle of fertility treatments. This began our family-building journey with the joys of parenthood. Blissfully in our bubble of ignorance to the world of loss, grief, and healing that would follow in the coming years.
Miscarriage Baby Breinholt
In June 2018, we eagerly embraced a frozen IVF cycle, transferring one of our embryos with the hopes of Jayden having a sibling. Navigating the daily shots of medications became a shared journey, a testament to the lengths we were willing to go for the expansion of our family. Surprisingly, my own “fear” of needles took a back seat as I managed to administer the shots to Lisa, finding strength in faith and the understanding of our struggles by our savior, Jesus Christ.
Sadly, the excitement was met with heartbreak as the FET failed. The embryo ceased its growth between 5-6 weeks gestation, and we experienced the painful loss of our unborn baby. Since we didn’t do any genetic testing we were left with uncertainty about the baby’s gender, adding an extra layer of complexity to our grieving process. The only explanation we received was a statistic that 1 in 4 pregnancies end in miscarriage.
Twins Mason and Hayley
In 2019, fueled by hope and determination, we decided to transfer two embryos, anticipating a brighter outcome than our previous attempt. The joyous news of expecting twins in November filled our hearts with excitement. However, the journey took an unexpected turn when, during monitoring at the hospital on November 5, 2019, Mason’s heart signaled distress.
What followed over the next few days is a part of our story that unfolded with a mixture of hope and heartbreak. Mason and Hayley, despite having separate placentas, faced a devastating challenge as Mason’s placenta detached completely, resulting in a placental abruption. The consequence was severe brain damage and damage to multiple organs. Despite a valiant fight in the NICU to regulate his tiny body, Mason passed away on November 8, 2019, at 10:28 am. We returned home with the bittersweet experience of taking home our surviving twin Hayley while planning Mason’s funeral. Mason was laid to rest in Babyland at the Spanish Fork Cemetary.
For a more detailed account of this portion of our journey, you can read our Journal Entry about Mason and Hayley.
Asher the Miracle Baby
In May 2020, a seemingly ordinary drive to Fairview for Memorial Day gravesite visits of Lisa’s grandparents took an unexpected turn. Lisa wasn’t feeling well, and in a moment of lightheartedness, I joked about morning sickness—what were the odds after all we had been through? Little did we know, the tests upon our return home would confirm the unexpected joy of expecting a baby boy in January 2021.
Anticipation filled our hearts as we approached the 17-week ultrasound, hoping for a glimpse of our baby’s gender. Instead, we were met with the heartbreaking news that no parent should endure—they couldn’t find a heartbeat. Asher, who had been measuring 13 weeks, had passed sometime between our 12-week and 17-week appointments. It was a cruel revelation known as a missed miscarriage.
Navigating the difficult decisions ahead, we chose to deliver on July 31, 2020, at Orem Community Hospital. Asher found his resting place alongside his big brother Mason in Babyland at the Spanish Fork Cemetery.
Lisa's Dad Passes Away
On January 27, 2022, we faced another devastating blow as Lisa’s dad passed away after a two-year battle with a rare urethral cancer. His departure left a void that extended beyond our family, resonating with everyone who knew him.
Reflecting on our time together brings back fond memories, such as the unique and memorable dam tour he provided for my surveying class during my coursework at UVU. His enthusiasm for his work and his love for a good dam joke made the trip not only educational but also filled with laughter.
With his passing came a wave of compounding feelings of loss and grief. Pictured here is a poignant reminder—a hand mold of Lisa’s parents holding hands, a beautiful testament to their enduring love created just before his departure.
McKenzie Our Rainbow
Our Rainbow baby girl, McKenzie Joy Breinholt, made her entrance into the world on July 6, 2022, a symbol of hope and renewal after the storms of grief we had weathered. However, her arrival came with unexpected challenges. McKenzie spent a couple of weeks in the NICU due to meconium aspiration and coordination concerns with her swallowing.
Adding to the complexity, our family contracted Covid-19 during the week of her scheduled delivery. Navigating isolation from our newborn daughter for a few days, having only caught a fleeting glimpse before the NICU staff whisked her away for treatment, presented an additional layer of difficulty.
McKenzie, equipped with a gavage feeding setup and monitored closely with a heart and breathing monitor, was a testament to her strength and resilience. Her middle name, Joy, chosen with anticipation of the joy she would bring after the storms of grief, proved prophetic. Despite the initial challenges, McKenzie has lived up to her middle name, filling our lives with boundless joy and love.