The Story Behind This Beautiful Newborn Photo Will Bring You to Tears

Following the death of their toddler a few months after his first birthday in July 2015, Gloria and Steven Kimmel decided to honor their son with memorial tattoos: an angel wing spread across each of their upper backs. Since losing Isaac to Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) — "a genetic disease affecting the part of the nervous system that controls voluntary muscle movement" — the Kimmels have welcomed a second child, a daughter named Claire in June 2017.

During Claire's newborn photo shoot, the couple wanted their whole family to be together in one of the photos, Isaac included. They chose to lay Claire on their backs, between her brother's angel wings, which resulted in a positively stunning snap.

"This photo is our first family photo with all of us together," Gloria told POPSUGAR. "Our son is there in that photo with us, through our memorial tattoos. It is a beautiful reminder of his life and loss, and also one of hope and love. A testament to our past and our joy for the future. So very blessed to have this photo to remember him by and to welcome our daughter at the same time."