Couple began 2025 preparing for their baby’s funeral, believing it couldn’t get worse — but life had other plans that made it their best year
Not every year begins with joy. For parents, Carla Weedon and Daniel Reed, 2025 did not welcome them with hopes and New Year's resolutions but with a document that no parents should ever have to read - a "Baby Funeral Options Information Pack." The letter arrived with an apology from Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. After Christmas last year, Carla went for a 12-week scan, and her baby was diagnosed with cystic hygroma and fetal hydrops, as reported by Newsweek on Saturday, December 27, 2025. But April changed everything for the couple when they learned the unexpected, as revealed in Carla's (@carlawdc) TikTok post on December 19, 2025.
In January, the baby's heartbeat was no longer detected at 15 weeks, and she underwent an induced miscarriage the following week. The couple later found out that their baby had Turner syndrome, according to the outlet. This incident left them devastated, and months passed in silence, counselling sessions, and recovery until they received other news. According to her post, in February, a fortune cookie slip appeared: "This year will bring you happiness." And in April, she got two positive pregnancy tests, which offered her the very first flicker of hope.
Carla expressed, "Although I felt terrified and nervous about something going wrong, it gave me hope that we had another chance of having a baby so soon." From there, her TikTok post captured her return to life and joy with baby bump photos, ultrasound scans, gender reveal, and finally her photo with the baby. Sonny was born prematurely at 36 weeks. He spent the early weeks dealing with complications related to prematurity.
The video, which drew over 424,000 views, has people cheering the couple in comments. "The little sigh I did after the first scroll, my heart broke for you, mumma," wrote @posiepascals. "This made me tear up. I’m sorry, Mumma. You should be so proud of yourself," expressed @kace. @olivvvgarden congratulated the couple and said, "Congratulations, lovely, this is beautiful."
Cystic hygroma is a congenital abnormality and is detected before birth. According to The Fetal Medicine Foundation, in this condition, fluid-filled cysts commonly occur around the fetus's neck. It is often detected on an ultrasound scan during pregnancy. It can also be linked with chromosomal abnormalities like Turner syndrome and can lead to a high risk for miscarriage. Meanwhile, fetal hydrops is a serious and rare condition of excessive fluid buildup in at least two areas of a developing body. It can be under the skin, around the heart, stomach, or lungs. This can lead to severe swelling, as per the study by the Cleveland Clinic.
For Carla, the journey began with the loss of her baby, waiting rooms, and fear. And by the end, her story became the one that inspires those who might be going through similar experiences.
You can follow @carlawdc on TikTok for more parenting content.