Within three short years, Nikki Cee lost not one but two of her loved ones in a tragic manner, shaking her family to its foundations: first, her younger brother died due to unexpected heart failure, and then, her father passed away.
However, soon when shadows of grief were getting too awful, life managed to surprise her with two miracles.
Today, Nikki has a set of twins, two boys who are identical, and who were born through IVF, a story she calls, beauty out of the ashes.
Strict Connections and Tragic Deaths
Born into a tight knit family of five in suburban Maryland, Nikki remembers her childhood as a blissful experience of love, laughter, and family values.
Her father, Leon, was an armed forces veteran, and had toured Iraq during the early 2000s. However, he came back a different person as many veterans do- battling with PTSD and physical health issues that disrupted family dynamics.
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Through all that suffering, the family held together until, on Memorial Day in 2021, tragedy struck again, with the younger brother of Nikki, Brian, passing away suddenly at the age of 28.
Nikki describes him as young, full of life, and the kind of person everybody was drawn to,. His death created a massive vacuum in our hearts.
The agony continued in May 2024 when her father passed away peacefully in his sleep on the occasion of Mother’s Day, a year before Nikki was to deliver.
Nikki shares that “his dad struggled with the military physically and emotionally. He was my pillar. To be a grandfather was his most valuable desire.”
Before that dream could be fulfilled, he died.
The IVF Adventure That Made a Difference
At that time, Nikki was undergoing IVF procedures when her father died. One embryo survived after an unsuccessful transfer before. It was the last opportunity, and her father words still resonated in her mind.
On his death he said to me, Next time he was to be the champ. I clung to that.”
Nikki performed another embryo transfer on May 31, 2024; the anniversary of Brian death. June 10 was the day that her family had buried Brian three years ago, but on the same day, the pregnancy test was positive.
She says it was like burying one life and discovering that another life was coming. It was some kind of divine time, as though they were there with me, in a sense.
Better still, her single embryo produced twin boys who were identical in nature which was a slap that left us both jumping and crying.
A Surprise BabyQ and Paying Homage to her Angels
In a touching tribute to her deceased father, Nikki had her family come over because they believed it was a barbecue in honor of his birthday, a tradition of his that he dearly loved.
It was, however, a BabyQ surprise birth announcement.
They did not know. Nikki fondly remembers how exciting it was to see the happiness on their faces: their twins are pregnant.
The two boys she gave birth to were named after Hendrix and Jaxson as a way of honoring her brother and father with their names.
She laughs, shopping is much like Jaxson reminds her of Brian, he is playful, stylish, a little wild. And Hendrix is cool, composed and has the same expressions as my dad. It is as though they are back in the house.”
A Healing Full Circle Moment
Being pregnant was not an easy experience, both emotionally and physically, on the part of Nikki. Yet she did not give up and clung to the belief that her path had a greater goal.
The birth of her boys was a moment of a full circle, one that did not only heal her but her whole family.
“We did not replace my dad or my brother; that is not possible. Yet we know somehow, through these boys, we again have their presence with us.”
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Being a professional photographer, Nikki celebrated the moment with a heartbreaking family photo: she, her mom, and her surviving brother holding twins.
Her late father and brother appear in a digitally edited version to make up the rest of the family.
“We all just wept. It was as though they had returned for a moment. It brought us peace.”
Making Our Way Back to Beauty
Motherhood has been both a blessing and an eye opener to Nikki. It made her realize that grief and love can co-exist, and this is why even in the most darkest periods of human life, life can still have some blossoms.
She says, there is beauty in the ashes. The death of my dad and brother was too painful. But Hendrix and Jaxson they made us live once more. And that is a favor that I will never cease being thankful to.”
