Jessica Jayne Harwood
February 17, 2004 - February 21, 2004

Elk Grove, California (CA)

Born February 17th, 2004 went to be in the arms of Jesus February 21st, 2004

Jessie touched so many lives and had such a huge purpose to her
small, short life. Her brother Jacob and mommy and daddy miss her so.
But because she came and shared her life the doctors we able to
diagnose me quickly with stage 3 breast cancer with no primary. Thank
you our sweet angel.

JESSICA JAYNE HARWOOD Infant daughter of Michael and Teresa Harwood of Elk Grove, was born on February 17, 2004 and died four days later. She blessed us in many ways. We said hello and goodbye too quickly! She will be missed by her parents; one brother, Jacob Harwood; maternal grandparents, Lloyd and Carol Levaggi; paternal grandmother, Nancy White and many aunts, uncles and cousins. Services will be held Saturday and Interment will be in Plymouth, CA. Remembrances may be made to Support Organization For Trisomy (S.O.F.T), 2982 South Union St., Rochester, N.Y. 14624.  (Published in the San Mateo County Times on 2/27/2004)

I have been reading about your stories and have been touched by each and everyone. My baby daughter was born under the same circumstance of Trisomy 13 but was somewhat different.

My husband and I conceived our 2nd and last child on our 5th wedding anniversary. We knew she was a girl, so we named her after my mother (who passed away when my 1st child was 17 days old). Jessica Jayne, Jayne was my mom's middle name, would be her name. We new we were blessed from the minute we got pregnant. The circumstances were perfect, it was a girl, we were trying for about 1 1/2 years. We knew she would be our blessing, we just didn't know how incredibly true that
would turn out to be.

As the months went on I had no complications. Our son Jacob got very attached to his little sister who is in mommy's tummy. He would rub my back every night and say, "Jessie likes that, she knows I love her!"

Words of love that continue to break my heart! Jacob to this day loves his sister that he knew only through a glass window. He asked me last night, "I have brown eyes like you mommy and daddy has green, what color eyes does Jessie have? He understands Jessie is in heaven and we will see her again so he keeps her alive with us, whenever we see a baby he says things like, I wonder what Jessie would have done, or he says, I MISS JESSIE. He still tells people I have a sister but she is in heaven. I think that is what makes my heart hurt, he misses her so, he would have been a GREAT big brother!

After some time on bed rest for high blood pressure, we had to monitor her once a week. She was born on February 17th, 2004 unknown to us that she had Trisomy 13. She was born with a cleft lip.

As she was born, my husband Mike just looked at me with fear. He didn't know what to say to me as they whisked away our daughter. He was white as a sheet and scared. The doctor in the delivery room (not my OB) didn't give us much relief either, she left quickly with no explanation. Mike and I then had to deal with the on call nurses and doctors. My OB had taken a much needed vacation. All that we were to understand was that she had extra digits and cleft palate. No one mentioned Trisomy 13 or any genetic abnormality.

I was resigned to the fact, this was my calling, God needed me to be Jessie's mom and take care of her and her disabilities. We kept asking the Intensive care nurses and no one would answer any questions until we talked to a doctor, which was almost 24 hours later!!!!!!!!!! We felt like the on call doctor's were avoiding us. But it also gave us hope because we felt if there was something seriously wrong - they would be here telling us. The doctor from NBICU finally came in when Jessie was about 30 hours old and . . . before my sisters and friend (with my 3 year old son) were able to leave the room. . . blurted out, "Your daughter is not going to live!" His bedside manner was horrible! It was awful, we NEVER heard of Trisomy 13 before and to be blind sided was a nightmare. He actually was very rude when it came to the point of why we didn't have and amnio. (We did go in to have one but her bladder was in the way, and it would have harmed her.) We decided not to go back and have one because we had no family risk factors.

It was not a big mistake, in my opinion, to have not had the amnio. We had 4 days with our daughter!!:) Jessica lived for 4 days, she was loved by soooo many. We were so blessed by her. When she fussed my voice could calm her. A blessing! She was a sweet angel who visited and saved my life (literally)!

I felt a lump under my arm 5 weeks after Jessica's birth. Showed it to my OB at 6 wks postpartum appt. and she ordered it biopsied. Now, my OB doctor who was crying, had to deliver the news that I had breast cancer. She had been through it all with me in the matter of weeks! My doctor had come back early from her vacation to be with me for Jessica!

The biopsy disclosed metastasized breast cancer in the lymph nodes. We NEVER found the primary. I truly believe with out my hormones because of my child I never would have found it until it was too late. It was already stage 3 metastasized when we found it. Even after surgery for a double mastectomy, we never found the primary.

I am alive today due to my daughters short life. She is my angel and I adore her so! I pray for all of you who have to lose a child under any circumstance but know that God has a plan and a purpose for every life - no matter how long or short (Jer.29:11)! Bless you! Teresa Harwood weharwoods@comcast.net