Woman who suffered miscarriage was grieving baby—a 14-yr-old stranger stepped in and changed everything

Losing a child is a heartbreaking experience no parent wants to go through. It takes a different level of support and empathy for a person to heal from this. A mom and US immigration attorney named Jaci Ohayon felt this gut-wrenching pain when she had a miscarriage a few years ago, per Love What Matters. Being broken and aching beyond imagination, there seemed to be no way to heal the mother’s heart. However, a 14-year-old boy, Jonas, came across Jaci and her husband and things changed for the better. 

Jaci, a mom of two, got pregnant a third time and was excited to turn her family of 4 into a family of 5. Unfortunately, while the couple was preparing to welcome their third baby, they learned that Jaci had an ectopic pregnancy. It refers to a state wherein the fertilized egg implants outside of the uterus, per the Cleveland Clinic. Unable to receive nutrition and grow due to the displacement, the baby didn’t make it, and Jaci miscarried. Battling the emotional pain of her unborn child and physical complications, she took a break from everything and fled to the Dominican Republic. 

“I was miserable and heartbroken, so much so that it was painful to smile. I felt like the weight of the world was on my shoulders,” Jaci recalled. She felt disconnected from work and chose to move with the hope of finding purpose in life. That’s when she and her family came across Jonas. They invited him over to have pizza at their table. “I noticed that my heart exploded when we met him, as if we already knew him,” Jaci remarked. Jonas began to hang out with the family over the few months they were in the Dominican Republic. Despite the language barrier, they tried their best to dabble in “Spanish, French and charades” to communicate. 

The boy wasn’t educated and used to polish shoes of other people for a livelihood, but the couple did their best to help him. To Jaci’s surprise, the boy’s mom showed up at her doorstep, “asking me to take him in and show him how to be a man with a future.” The woman initially refused. “There was just no way that I could assume this role…but my heart had already said yes!” she remarked. Using her skills as an immigration attorney, she secured a visa for the boy to the United States. Despite the challenges hurled his way, Jonas never complained and always showed gratitude.

“That amazing young man is now studying business and engineering in college while attending a soccer academy,” Jaci proudly noted. The mom has been documenting her journey with the boy over the years. One of the posts captured a grown-up Jonas, soaking in his love for football. Another post captured the time the family successfully took Jonas in. In a comment, the mom shared the rest of her story: “Sometimes, I still grieve for the baby that I never got to hold, then I dry my tears and look at my life in complete wonder. God knew I was grieving the loss of a child, so he put one in my path to help nurture, guide and love,” Jaci said.

She added that right from her family to her career, everything fell into place after the arrival of Jonas. Leaving a poignant message, the mom said, “You may not know the ‘why,’  but God does and I pray that you find the strength deep within you to pull through terrible times with the knowledge that sometimes big, bright and beautiful is just around the corner for you.”

You can follow Jaci Ohayon (@jacihasapen) on Instagram for more wholesome family content.