An Ohio mother, DeAnna Boughman, shared her emotional journey of keeping an ultrasound scan of her twins displayed on her refrigerator for over three years. The scan represented a significant period of her life following the loss of one of the twins. DeAnna, aged 35, and her husband Jeremy, 43, are parents to four children. Their ages range from 22 to 3 years old.
DeAnna captured the poignant moment she decided to remove the sonogram, a symbol that had been in place since she learned about her twin pregnancy. This decision marked the end of a profound personal chapter after losing their daughter, Arabella.
“For years, Jeremy and I dreamt of having twins,” DeAnna told Newsweek. “They are prevalent on both sides of our family. When I unexpectedly became pregnant and discovered it was twins, it felt like a prayer answered.”
The ultrasound initially symbolized hope and joy. However, after Arabella’s passing, it took on new meaning. DeAnna explained, “Seeing those two tiny babies on my fridge reminded me of God’s faithfulness before my world fell apart.”
The scan stayed on the family’s refrigerator throughout her pregnancy excitement, the birth of the twins, the sorrow of loss, and the challenging times that followed. Removing it did not signify moving on from Arabella but rather indicated a shift in how DeAnna managed her grief.
“The ultrasound is still incredibly precious,” DeAnna said. “I have stored it safely.” She shared the moment she felt ready to remove the scan in an Instagram reel, which gained over 360,000 views.
DeAnna hopes her story offers comfort to other grieving parents who feel pressured to heal according to others’ expectations. “Grief isn’t overcome by loving less,” she shared. “We grieve deeply because our love is deep, and that love remains even when the person is no longer with us. We just have to find new ways to tend to that love.”
While the ultrasound is no longer on her refrigerator, its meaning hasn’t changed. “If its presence on my refrigerator reminds at least one grieving person of God’s faithfulness and that healing cannot be hurried, sharing our story will be worthwhile,” DeAnna expressed.