Our family's hero entered this world at 11:00 pm, on August 16, 2019. Case Michael Andreas, 8 pounds 1 ounce, and 21 inches long, was the perfect addition to our family. Case made his arrival at thirty-seven weeks. He was healthy, happy, handsome, and absolutely perfect. Case was quite big for an early baby, had thin brown hair (although it was announced that he had blonde hair at birth), dark brown eyes, and the most charming little smile. 

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As Case grew, he showed a great deal of physical strength, and his characteristics were in alignment with the "big dreams" that we had for him since finding out that Aria was going to have a baby brother. We imagined Case was going to receive scholarships and play baseball in college, and then he would get drafted to play professionally, just like his daddy. 

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Over the next few months, Case continuously impressed us with his size, strength, intelligence and easy temperament. Reflecting on the short time we had with Case, we underestimated just how amazing he would be. We never considered that Case would be a blessing for so many others at such a young age, or that he would quite literally save someone's life. Little did we know that Case would exceed every dream that we had for him but not without us experiencing indescribable pain and heartbreak. On December 16, 2019, Case Michael Andreas would go to sleep and drift off to Heaven. I'm sure there is some curiosity that comes with learning about Case's passing at the young age of four months old, especially when he's been described as a healthy and happy baby. The night before Case went to Heaven, we kissed him goodnight, he went to sleep, and he passed from what was called "failure to wake."

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A few hours after we kissed our baby boy goodbye and left the hospital, Life Gift called. Life Gift is an organ procurement organization in Texas that gives hope to those in need of organ and tissue transplants, and allows bereaved family members, like my husband and I, to consent to give the gift of life to another after the passing of a loved one. 

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I honestly don't even know why I answered the phone the day Case passed, but I'm so thankful that I did. I'm thankful that my husband and I could give permission for them to take Case's heart valves and anything else they could, to help save the life of another.