Daulton Weatherington

Our sweet Daulton was born on December 22nd at 6:32 PM, weighing 6 pounds, 12 ounces, and measuring 20.8 inches long. From his very first breath until his last, Daulton was a fighter.

While this pregnancy was not planned, it never stopped our love for Daulton from growing, nor did it stop our excitement to become a family of five. That joy was soon accompanied by fear and uncertainty at our anatomy scan. It was then that we learned Daulton had a right-sided congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We were referred to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, where we learned just how severe his condition was and began frequent appointments and monitoring.

In October, we bravely pursued in-utero surgery in hopes of giving Daulton the best possible chance. While the procedure did not bring the outcome we had hoped for, the remainder of the pregnancy was spent on bed rest until induction on December 22nd.

On December 23rd, at just 19 hours old, Daulton underwent diaphragmatic repair surgery. Though the procedure was initially successful, his little body could not sustain the fight any longer. In those final moments, we were finally able to hold our sweet boy for the very first time and bathe him. This is a moment we will cherish forever.

Daulton passed away at 9:44 PM on Christmas Eve, in our arms. He was surrounded by love while being softly sang “You Are My Sunshine.”

Though his time with us was brief, Daulton’s presence filled our world with immeasurable love and hope. He was a perfect whisper of heaven—a tiny miracle we held for a moment and will carry in our hearts forever. Our family is forever changed and forever grateful for the time we shared with our sweet boy.

Daulton leaves behind his loving parents, Zachary and Jacqueline Weatherington; his big sister, Blair, who will always be proud of her baby brother; and his big brother, Zachary Jr., who will forever have an angel watching over him.

Our sweet boy, we are so sorry this was your outcome, but we will always love you.

Our angel in heaven.