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Viral Photo Shows Newborn Baby Surrounded By The 1616 Injection Needles It Took To Make It
A tiny newborn swaddled in rainbow cloth, surrounded by more than 1,600 shots, the image alone is enough to pull at your heartstrings but when you hear the story behind it, it’s no wonder this photo is going viral.
Patricia and Kimberly O’Neill met close to six years ago working at a daycare, and after a year into the relationship in February 2014, they began trying to conceive. Both women had kids from previous relationships, Patricia a now 7-year-old daughter and Kimberly a now 14-year-old son. Together they decided Patricia, who had always wanted a biological child, would be the one to carry their new loved one. But things don’t always go according to plan.
“We just thought it would only take going into a fertility clinic and nine months later, we’d have a baby,” Patricia told CNN, “It just didn’t happen like that for us.” The couple lost their first baby at six weeks and then the second baby at eight weeks, and it was after this they discovered Patricia suffered from a blood-clotting condition called Factor V Leiden. The illness can cause serious complications with pregnancies, which they O’Neill’s found out the hard way. The fourth embryo took and they began to feel hopeful, but at 11 weeks the baby’s heart stopped.
“I was done and I couldn’t do it anymore. But my wife and I, we started this journey together, and we decided we would always be together in the hard decisions and she wasn’t done,” said Patricia, and their persistence paid off with the help of Dr. John Couvaras, a board-certified reproductive endocrinologist and ob-gyn. Dr. Couvaras recommended two shots a day of blood-thinning medicine be added alongside the IVF shots (which are also pictured surrounding the baby).
About $40,000 later, London O’Neill was born on August 3. Photographer Samantha Packer helped them realize their vision, which they had had in mind from the start. “My wife saved every single needle that I injected, all capped and plastic seals around them and everything,” explained Patricia explained.
The image of baby London and the O’Neill’s struggle has struck a chord with people everywhere, wracking up 63K shares on Facebook.“I hope that there’s a couple out there that’s going through what we are that can see that there’s hope at the end of the tunnel,” expressed Patricia. “There’s a light and you just have to get there.”
Scroll down below to see images of this beautiful family!
RELATED:
This beautiful photo of newborn London O’Neill surrounded by over 1,616 needles is going viral
Image credits: Packer Family Photography
Samantha Packer is the photographer behind the image and the story of what it depicts is amazing
Patricia and Kimberly O’Neill knew they wanted a biological baby one year into their relationship
Image credits: Kimberly Ayn O’Neill
Both women have kids from previous relationships, Patricia a now 7-year-old daughter and Kimberly a now 14-year-old son
Image credits: Kimberly Ayn O’Neill
Patricia struggled to maintain a pregnancy due to a blood-clotting condition called Factor V Leiden. Her doctor recommended blood-thinners alongside the IVF, which are shown in the photo as well
Image credits: Kimberly Ayn O’Neill
“I was done and I couldn’t do it anymore. But my wife and I, we started this journey together, and we decided we would always be together in the hard decisions and she wasn’t done,” Patricia told CNN
Image credits: Packer Family Photography
She hopes their story will be an inspiration to other struggling couples, “There’s a light and you just have to get there”
Image credits: Packer Family Photography
Watch the loving couple tell their story
People were touched by the O’Neills and shared their own IVF journies and photos
What do you think ?
EvilDinosaur 7 years ago
I can’t be the only one but I’m genuinely confused by this narrative? Why risk your life (from the sounds of things the risk was huge in this case) just to have a kid who shares your DNA when you could, much less riskily have an equally amazing kid who, while not sharing your DNA, is in desperate need of a loving family? Plus, reading anecdotes from people who’ve adopted/had one blood and an adopted kid/ had genetic kids but not felt a ‘connection’ the ‘love quotient’ is basically the same. Is it because we worship pregnancy while convinently avoiding our overpopulation problem 🤔 or something else? (Despite what it seems I’m not trying to hate (well not a lot) I’m just genuinely confused).
lazy panda 7 years ago
I think you're right. We almost have a fetish with NEEDING to have a biological child even when the universe is clearly telling us to just give it up. It's really strange.
Load More Replies...
Mary Roberts 7 years ago
Meanwhile there are almost 500,000 kids in foster care who would love to have a real home....
Karasi Mills 7 years ago
Have you adopted and/or fostered? What has your experience been like?
Load More Replies...
Vonskippy 7 years ago
What a waste of time and money. How stupid (and selfish) do you have to be to go thru all that nonsense just to have your "own" baby. People need to stop applauding efforts like these and label them for what they truly are - just a couple of ego manics that think they're oh so special that the world needs more of their genetic material in the human race. Bah, we should do what the Chinese did and tax these people out of existence.
John Smith 7 years ago
Vonskippy: having the biological receipt for your baby is a beautiful thing. You're too stupid to understand. And that's OK.
Load More Replies...
van voi 7 years ago
Saving 1600+ syringes, needles, pill bottles and what not and using them to surround your newborn so you can create "art"? This is not only bizarre but also tasteless in my book. Not to mention the time and the truck-load of money spent, and all those tweets and the media attention. I think there is a lot more going on in the heads of these two than just a simple desire to have (and deliver) a baby....
Aunt Messy 7 years ago
It's bragging. First, it's bragging that they had that kind of money to spend in the first place. Second, it's humblebragging that they were willing to suffer all kinds of illness and misery to do it. Third, the whole photo shoot, the whole story, the smarmy self-congratulation gig is designed to smack people in the face if they don't have or don't want kids.
Load More Replies...
Rich Auntie Skeleton 7 years ago
I was lucky to have been adopted as an infant. I smirk at cutesy stories like this thinking of how I could have rotted in the foster system if my parents decided to go the same route. There are TONS of children in the foster system, TONS, who weren't good enough for this family and have to continue to wait because they don't share the same genes. Bravo on your kid ladies, but whatever.
A dose of reality... 7 years ago
"This is the baby we prayed for" and then still turn to science. Sounds quite hypocrite to me...
Hope White 7 years ago
I think this is insane. I am adopted but I didn't get the luck of being adopted when I was a baby but when I was 8 which has left a mark on me forever because of just how awful the foster care system is. I've been thrown from family to family, abused, and even raped you name it. When I was adopted though all that stopped because I finally had a family who loved me and wanted to see me grow I was no longer a number that belonged to the state but a person. Please adopt I'm begging that you spend your money towards a child who is dreaming for the day they can get a family and go home. We may not be biological but we will still love you and be grateful to you just as any child adopted or biological would be.
El-Ray King 7 years ago
That picture is horrid. Saving the syringes was gross, since they are medical waste. Surrounding your baby with medical waste is grotesque. I don't see anything so special about these women's DNA that going to such extreme measures to pass it on was warranted. There are millions of children in the world that need a home, This story just continues to perpetuate the fallacy that only biological children are considered real family.
lazy panda 7 years ago
Feel free to down vote me, but at what point do you say "okay, we just need to stop and try something else?" I understand wanting a biological child, but why not do surrogacy if that's the case? Sure, these stories are touching, but I can't help thinking about what all of these treatments do to the mother on top of the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages.
SweetMamaP 7 years ago
You're just transferring the difficulties to someone else. And surrogacy is an additional expense, because yeah, surrogate has to undergo, the IVF procedure(s) too. Plus, you still have no guarantee that it will be successful.
Load More Replies...
EvilDinosaur 7 years ago
I can’t be the only one but I’m genuinely confused by this narrative? Why risk your life (from the sounds of things the risk was huge in this case) just to have a kid who shares your DNA when you could, much less riskily have an equally amazing kid who, while not sharing your DNA, is in desperate need of a loving family? Plus, reading anecdotes from people who’ve adopted/had one blood and an adopted kid/ had genetic kids but not felt a ‘connection’ the ‘love quotient’ is basically the same. Is it because we worship pregnancy while convinently avoiding our overpopulation problem 🤔 or something else? (Despite what it seems I’m not trying to hate (well not a lot) I’m just genuinely confused).
lazy panda 7 years ago
I think you're right. We almost have a fetish with NEEDING to have a biological child even when the universe is clearly telling us to just give it up. It's really strange.
Load More Replies... Mary Roberts 7 years ago
Meanwhile there are almost 500,000 kids in foster care who would love to have a real home....
Karasi Mills 7 years ago
Have you adopted and/or fostered? What has your experience been like?
Load More Replies... Vonskippy 7 years ago
What a waste of time and money. How stupid (and selfish) do you have to be to go thru all that nonsense just to have your "own" baby. People need to stop applauding efforts like these and label them for what they truly are - just a couple of ego manics that think they're oh so special that the world needs more of their genetic material in the human race. Bah, we should do what the Chinese did and tax these people out of existence.
John Smith 7 years ago
Vonskippy: having the biological receipt for your baby is a beautiful thing. You're too stupid to understand. And that's OK.
Load More Replies... van voi 7 years ago
Saving 1600+ syringes, needles, pill bottles and what not and using them to surround your newborn so you can create "art"? This is not only bizarre but also tasteless in my book. Not to mention the time and the truck-load of money spent, and all those tweets and the media attention. I think there is a lot more going on in the heads of these two than just a simple desire to have (and deliver) a baby....
Aunt Messy 7 years ago
It's bragging. First, it's bragging that they had that kind of money to spend in the first place. Second, it's humblebragging that they were willing to suffer all kinds of illness and misery to do it. Third, the whole photo shoot, the whole story, the smarmy self-congratulation gig is designed to smack people in the face if they don't have or don't want kids.
Load More Replies... Rich Auntie Skeleton 7 years ago
I was lucky to have been adopted as an infant. I smirk at cutesy stories like this thinking of how I could have rotted in the foster system if my parents decided to go the same route. There are TONS of children in the foster system, TONS, who weren't good enough for this family and have to continue to wait because they don't share the same genes. Bravo on your kid ladies, but whatever.
A dose of reality... 7 years ago
"This is the baby we prayed for" and then still turn to science. Sounds quite hypocrite to me...
Hope White 7 years ago
I think this is insane. I am adopted but I didn't get the luck of being adopted when I was a baby but when I was 8 which has left a mark on me forever because of just how awful the foster care system is. I've been thrown from family to family, abused, and even raped you name it. When I was adopted though all that stopped because I finally had a family who loved me and wanted to see me grow I was no longer a number that belonged to the state but a person. Please adopt I'm begging that you spend your money towards a child who is dreaming for the day they can get a family and go home. We may not be biological but we will still love you and be grateful to you just as any child adopted or biological would be.
El-Ray King 7 years ago
That picture is horrid. Saving the syringes was gross, since they are medical waste. Surrounding your baby with medical waste is grotesque. I don't see anything so special about these women's DNA that going to such extreme measures to pass it on was warranted. There are millions of children in the world that need a home, This story just continues to perpetuate the fallacy that only biological children are considered real family.
lazy panda 7 years ago
Feel free to down vote me, but at what point do you say "okay, we just need to stop and try something else?" I understand wanting a biological child, but why not do surrogacy if that's the case? Sure, these stories are touching, but I can't help thinking about what all of these treatments do to the mother on top of the heartbreak of multiple miscarriages.
SweetMamaP 7 years ago
You're just transferring the difficulties to someone else. And surrogacy is an additional expense, because yeah, surrogate has to undergo, the IVF procedure(s) too. Plus, you still have no guarantee that it will be successful.
Load More Replies...
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