It’s the absolute worst thing that can happen.
Courtney Hill’s beloved husband Brian had served in the US Army for many years. He’d been stationed everywhere from Irak to Kuwait and Afghanistan, and despite ending up in many dangerous situations over the years, Brian always returned home safe.
After a while, he left the Army to focus on his family. He had made it out of the tough job in good health, and now the family could look forward to building a long and happy life together.
But in February 2016, tragedy struck.
When Courtney Hill received the news, her life was shattered into pieces.
Brian had died in a car accident.
He left behind Courtney and the couple’s daughter Reagan, who were forced to say goodbye to their devoted and loving husband and father.
Before Brian’s death, the couple had decided to extend their family. The morning Brian passed away, the couple had taken a pregnancy test – that was negative.
But several days later Courtney took another pregnancy test. In the midst of her grief and all the funeral arrangements, she received some suprising news: she was expecting a baby.
So on the day of the funeral, Courtney walked up to Brian’s casket. Then she whispered “Honey, you’re going to be a dad again”.
The months passed and Courtney tackled her grief. She tried as best she could to get used to her new life as a single mom.
But soon, Courtney was struck by another kind of sharp physical pain. Afraid of a miscarriage, she went straight to her doctor.
She was prepared for the worst… when she received yet another piece of news that turned her life upside down. The doctor could see two boys and a girl on the ultrasound – Courtney was pregnant with triplets!
“I was completely speechless. But I was excited to have three more smiles that reminded me of Brian,” Courtney says in an interview with CBS Chicago.
But Courtney would continue to flit between hope and despair.
25 weeks into her pregnancy she was hit by another tragedy. The doctor explained that one of the triplets didn’t have a heartbeat.
Courtney’s heart broke once again. But as we’ve already seen in this story, grief and hope can often exist side-by-side. In the midst of all the grief, a glimmer of light will always find a way through – and that was the case for Courtney.
On September 21st, she gave birth to her two surviving babies, Miles och Harper. They were completely healthy!
“Most triplets have to spend weeks in intensive care. Not in my case, everybody went home the next day. We have suffered, but we have also been blessed with little miracles,” Courtney Hill says..
Together with daughter Reagan, Miles and Harper are mom Courtney’s pride and joy. She doesn’t call the babies twins – but triplets who are missing their brother.
Of course she mourns her husband and her son, but she finds strength in the belief that they are together and guarding her family.
She’s looking to the future and bringing up her children. She knows how proud dad Brian would have been over them!
Courtney has experienced first-hand how precious happiness is – which is why she makes the most of every day with her little angels.
The family hasn’t had it easy, but thanks to the huge support from family and friends, Courtney’s positive about the future.
