Laelle and Levia's Story
My name is Jaalah! I am married to my husband Ben, and we have four children. A toddler son, our conjoined twin daughters Laelle and Levia in heaven, and a baby daughter.
In January of 2025 while I was 21 weeks pregnant, one phone call totally changed our lives forever. It's every parent's biggest fear to hear news that their baby is almost completely unlikely to live. We were totally blindsided by the information that our daughter was "incompatible with life", as the radiologist put it. The slew of appointments, tests, scans, and emotions that followed seemed endless. We even traveled to Seattle to get better care and truly make sure we could do everything possible for our baby. It was in Seattle that we officially found out we were having not just one baby girl, but two! Conjoined twins sharing one body, but each having their own head and spine. Once it came time for the birth, we ended up scheduled to deliver by C-section at University of WA Montlake Hospital in Seattle. We stayed at the Ronald McDonald House for almost 2 weeks, spending some very special time together as a family while I was still carrying our girls. April 7th arrived, and our girls entered the world! They lived for several minutes and went to heaven while snuggled in our arms. We spent the next 2 1/2 days in my recovery room making memories with the girls. The whole time, we pictured them being held by Jesus at the same time as they were being held by us, which was so comforting. When it was time to be released from the hospital, saying goodbye to their little body was the hardest thing we have ever done. Shortly after coming back home to Idaho and having the girls' celebration of life, I knew I wanted their lives to impact countless others. I didn't know what that would look like yet, but I was so determined to find a way. Laelle and Levia's Legacy was born a few months later, with the purpose of touching the lives of families who have experienced/will be experiencing the deep pain that is infant loss. We know from our own journey that nothing will ever take away the ache in a parent's heart when they lose a child, but we hope and pray that we can be a small part of people's stories by running this organization in our girls' honor. Losing Laelle and Levia changed us forever, and we know that ultimately God is holding them in His arms while we eagerly await to see them again in heaven.Â
Where we serve and what we do
We are based in beautiful Post Falls, Idaho. We are partnered with four hospitals in our area: Sacred Heart Medical Center, Deaconess Hospital, Kootenai Health, and Holy Family Hospital. We aim to support families in the entire Inland NW, including Spokane and Kootenai Counties, and surrounding areas.
​
Comfort Baskets
The main focus of Laelle and Levia's Legacy is assembling and donating comfort baskets to our partnered hospitals! These are filled with items that provide comfort and support, as well as keepsakes. We have two different baskets at this time:
-"The Levia Basket" is for families who have lost a baby either before, during, or shortly after birth in the 3rd trimester or later.
-"The Carter Basket" is for families who have suffered a pregnancy loss anytime in the 1st trimester to late 2nd trimester.
​
Events for loss Moms
Our goal is to plan an event whenever possible (approx. 1-3 times a year) for Moms in the Inland NW who have suffered pregnancy and/or infant loss. These events are meant to offer a supportive and gentle space where Moms can connect with each other and do things that honor their baby/babies.
​
Resources for loss families
We are in the process of compiling an ultimate resource list accessible to local families suffering pregnancy or infant loss. This will include resources from across the country as well as those that are local to our INW region.
