These Were the 13 Most Heartbreaking Headlines of 2015

Thousands of parenting headlines appeared both in print and online this year, and a handful of them totally broke our hearts. Parenting isn't always a bed of roses, and the world isn't a perfect place — something we were reminded of throughout the year whether we liked it or not.

These 13 headlines were the most heartbreaking of the year — you might want to grab a tissue.

Woman Kept on Life Support For 2 Months So Her Unborn Baby Could Survive

The birth of Angel Perez was nothing short of a miracle [1]. After Karla Perez — just 22 weeks pregnant — was left brain dead after suffering a stroke, doctors kept her alive for nearly eight weeks, just long enough to deliver her unborn child in a historic procedure.

Mother Creates Video Messages For Her Daughter to Watch Before Dying of Cancer

Elizabeth Joice was 36 when she lost her battle to cancer [2] just six weeks after giving birth to her daughter, Lily, but she made sure that her daughter would never be fully without her presence. Through a documentary project, over 70 hours of footage of Elizabeth was captured and the clips were put to music for Lily to watch as she grew older — so that she'd know of her mom who loved her so much.

10-Week-Old Baby Dies of Water Intoxication Due to Parents Diluting Breast Milk

Back in May, Herbert George Landell, 26, and Lauren Heather Fristed, 25, were arrested [3] after bringing their 10-week-old baby girl to the emergency room, already dead due to water intoxication. Nevaeh Marie Landell was being fed diluted breast milk as a form of "formula stretching" — an attempt to make breast milk or formula last for more feedings — which can result in a baby's brain developing wrong or, as in this case, death.

Mother of Stillborn Baby Urges Parents to Be Grateful For the Tough Parenting Moments

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2015, a pregnant Natalie Morgan couldn't feel her baby moving and immediately knew that something was wrong. Eleanor Josephine was born sleeping after several hours of labor, and Morgan took to Facebook [4] to post the heart-wrenching photos of her and Eleanor with an important message to all parents: "All I ask of you is when you have your dark moments with your baby. . . . say a prayer for me and all the mothers whose children were taken from them too soon. Say a prayer for my sweet, sweet Eleanor who never got to know life outside my womb."

Truck Driver Kills Couple's 2 Sons in a Crash

Hadley Eddings was driving with her 2-year-old son, Dobbs, over Memorial Day weekend — directly behind her husband, Gentry, in his own car — when a box truck driver rammed into both of them [5] after running a red light. Dobbs, who was strapped into his car seat in the back, passed away on the way to the hospital, and Hadley, who was 8 months pregnant, was forced to deliver the baby, Reed, in an emergency C-section. Though he was born at 38 weeks, Reed lived for just a few days.

The Tearjerking Story of Teddy, the Newborn Who Saved a Life After Losing His

Newborn baby Teddy was alive for less than two hours, but he made a life-changing impact that his parents and others will remember forever. After spending precious final moments with his parents and his newborn twin brother, Teddy became the UK's youngest organ donor [6] ever by donating his kidneys to an adult in need.

11-Year-Old Boy Shoots 8-Year-Old Girl Over Fight About Puppies

When an 11-year-old boy first got into an argument with his 8-year-old neighbor — about their puppies — nobody expected it to end with murder charges [7]. Each of the children had a puppy, and when the boy asked to see the little girl's dog, she said no, and the boy retrieved a gun from his house. The boy took his father's 12-gauge shotgun, which was stored in a closet without locks, and shot the girl from his house as she stood in her yard. First responders found her "lying on the ground with a gunshot to the chest." She later died from her injuries at an area hospital.

Why This Mom's Message to a Hospital Employee Has Gone Viral After Daughter Needs Stitches

Merritt Smith found herself in the middle of every mother's worst nightmare when her 4-year-old needed to go to the hospital after being hit at school. But not only is she furious with the boy who bullied her daughter, she's equally upset with a hospital employee for sending the message that what the boy did was OK. She said in an open letter to the man on Facebook [8], "Do not tell my 4-year-old who needs stitches from a boy at school hitting her 'I bet he likes you.'"

2 Brothers Tragically Die in Car Accidents . . . 3 Months Apart

In a truly tragic turn of events, a family lost their son in a hit-and-run accident [9] just three months after they buried another son following another fatal car crash. The hit-and-run claimed the life of Michigan college freshman Ryan Tsatsos when he and a group of friends were walking back to their dorm after a night out early Sunday morning. In July, Ryan's older brother, Darryl, was killed in a car accident — they were the couple's only children.

Parents Tragically Die to Save Their Baby Girl From a Tornado

Melissa and Michael Mooneyhan were killed [10] after a massive tornado struck their home. During those final moments, they miraculously managed to save their 18-month-old baby by shielding her from the debris. The Mooneyhans were among the five people killed in May after a series of tornadoes struck towns in Texas and Arkansas.

Trooper Gives Kids a Halloween After Parents Are Killed

On Halloween [11] night, Donald and Crystal Howard left their children — ages 13, 10, 8, and 6 — at home while they ran to the store to pick up face paint and more candy for trick-or-treaters. Their SUV careened off the road and hit a tree. They didn't survive the crash. Trooper Nathan Bradley was tasked with informing the next of kin [12] — knowing that he'd have to call Child Protective Services and that the children would have to spend the night in jail until the grandmother arrived, Officer Bradley went out on a limb. "I pulled the deputy coroner to the side and told him that I was split. I wanted to preserve these kids' Halloween and the ones to come. I suggested that I'd care for them until their family was able to."

Little Boy's Last Wish Was to See His Parents Get Married

Five-year-old Corey Edwards from Teignmouth, Devon, England, got to see the thing he wanted most [13] just five days before he died in the hospital. When parents Jemma and Craig Edwards found out their son did not have much longer to live, they organized a wedding within 48 hours and got married next to Corey's bedside at the Bristol Royal Hospital for Children in England. Little Corey wore a suit and tie and held the rings as he watched his parents exchange vows next to him.

Father Asks Santa to Take Photo With His Late Son

It's atypical for a photo on Santa's lap to be heartbreaking, but this one tore us apart. In a post to Facebook [14], "Santa" wrote about a man who waited in his line with a photo of his son who had passed away the year before: "'I have a request,' he said, turning around this picture frame. He took a moment. . . . Without anyone saying anything, he handed me the frame and I placed it on my knee. I didn't ask any questions, but I am guessing that this is his first photo with Santa. The camera snap was the only sound I could hear through the entire mall." Santa urges everyone reading the tearful post to "Pray for the brokenhearted. Smile at people. Just be kind. Love one another."

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