“Somehow, We Lived” — A Story of Life Support, Letting Go, and the Baby Who Taught Them Everything
Brianna shares the sacred and heart shattering story of her daughter Caroline, born with a complex heart condition and an incredibly rare genetic diagnosis. In this tender, raw, and deeply moving episode, Bri walks us through her high-risk pregnancy, the decisions that no parent should have to make, and the immeasurable love that carried her through it all. She also shares the beautiful way she now honours Caroline’s memory— through her nonprofit, Caroline Cares— and opens up about pregnancy after loss and what it’s been like to carry her rainbow baby boy.
We talk about:
Receiving a fetal heart diagnosis at 29 weeks
Relocating for high-risk care at Stanford
Balancing hope and fear while fighting for her daughter’s life
Caroline’s birth and time in the NICU on ECMO
An emotional mix-up that changed everything
Making the heartbreaking choice to remove life support
Holding Caroline for the first—and last—time
How grief shaped her purpose and how Caroline Cares was born
The complicated journey of pregnancy after loss
This episode is a powerful reminder that grief and love are never separate— and that even in the most devastating loss, mothering never ends.
Caroline, this one is for you.
Get to Know brianna:
Hi, I’m Bri. My husband and I are parents to our beautiful daughter, Caroline, who passed away at 27 days old in 2023 due to a rare congenital heart condition called Ebstein’s Anomaly. We miss her deeply every single day and continue to honour her life through Caroline Cares, a charity we founded to support other NICU families by delivering care bags to local hospitals.
In 2024, we experienced an ectopic pregnancy — a heartbreaking loss that came just as we were beginning to hope again. After walking through so much grief, we are now joyfully expecting our rainbow baby this August.
Caroline made me a mother. Her story changed everything. And now, I carry her legacy forward—through advocacy, through love, and through every family Caroline Cares is able to reach.
Connect with Brianna:
Instagram: @briannahansen
Support Caroline Cares: www.carolinecares.us
