Support for Trusty Family: Twin Angels Zara & Kyla

A Heartbreaking Loss Grieving Twin Babies: The Story of Zara and Kyla Trusty

Some tragedies are so profound, so shattering, that they ripple through every fiber of your being, leaving you breathless in their wake. My sister, Hayley, and her husband, Mark, have just endured one such tragedy—the kind that no parent, no family, should ever have to face. On November 16, 2024, their twin daughters, Zara Rosemarie and Kyla Olivia, were born into this world far too early, at 22 weeks and 4 days. Despite every effort and all the love in the world, their beautiful lives were heartbreakingly brief.

To sit here and write this, as their sister and aunt to those precious girls, feels like living through the pain all over again. We held Zara and Kyla in our arms, their tiny bodies so perfect and delicate, a reflection of all the love and prayers that went into bringing them into this world. In those fleeting moments, after they returned from the hospital, I grieved alongside Hayley and Mark in their home, feeling the weight of their loss press against my soul. I hopelessly wished it wasn’t real and prayed to wake up in a different reality where Zara and Kyla were still here—living, breathing, laughing, and filling their home with joy. Yet, somewhere deep inside, I know they are still alive—dancing in Heaven, forever cradled in God’s arms.

A Long Journey to Two Beautiful Miracles

Hayley and Mark’s journey to parenthood wasn’t easy. For four years, they struggled with infertility, their hearts aching with every setback. Through their faith and determination, they turned to IVF, praying that God would work through the medicine and bless them with a child. Miraculously, He did—granting them not one, but two identical twin girls. Zara and Kyla were the embodiment of their prayers, hopes, and dreams.

What they hadn't expected was the miracle that would unfold at their first ultrasound: only one embryo was transferred, but miraculously, it split in two. Their hearts overflowed with joy and amazement as they learned they were going to have not one but two daughters. This moment, filled with love, faith, and hope, was a testament to their prayers and a reminder of God’s extraordinary power to create life in ways beyond human understanding.

A Mother’s Love, A Nurse’s Strength

As a NICU nurse for over nine years, Hayley has devoted her life to caring for the tiniest of God’s blessings—babies as small as her own daughters. With immense skill, compassion, and an unshakable sense of purpose, she has nursed countless premature babies back to health. Just a few years ago, she earned her Master of Science in Nursing and became a licensed Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, answering what she felt was God’s calling for her. And while she cared for so many babies, her heart longed for the day she could hold her own.

A Night of Love and Loss

On November 16, after months of excitement and preparation, everything changed. Hayley began experiencing unusual discomfort. She and Mark rushed to the hospital, desperate to protect their girls and uncertain of the cause of her symptoms. After being monitored for hours, they were sent home, reassured that things were stable. But on the drive home, Hayley’s pain intensified, she sent her loving husband briefly to the pharmacy nearby to get her medications, hoping for relief. By the time they arrived home, Hayley, unknowingly, was in preterm labor.

Alone in their home, Hayley delivered Zara, their firstborn daughter. Even amidst her fear and heartbreak, Hayley’s love was palpable. She held her precious daughter as far as her umbilical cord would allow, kissed her tiny face, and told her she was beautiful and loved. All of her years of nursing practice came to fruition as she took the necessary steps to ensure her baby's comfort, emergently removing fluid from her daughter's airways, drying, stimulating, and warming her baby.

When Mark arrived moments later, he performed mouth-to-mouth on Zara as she lay on Hayley’s belly, their hearts breaking as they tried to save her. Hayley continued to labor with Kyla, Mark called 911. Paramedics arrived as Kyla was born, and they rushed the family to the hospital. By some miracle, both girls had faint heartbeats when they arrived. But their fragile little bodies were too small to sustain life outside the womb. That evening, Hayley and Mark held their daughters in their arms, skin-to-skin, whispering their love, hopes, and prayers as their hearts slowed and their souls left this world. "Even as their hearts stopped, they lay at peace on my chest, wrapped in our love," Hayley shared.

Zara Rosemarie Trusty weighed 1 lb 2 oz (510 grams), and Kyla Olivia Trusty weighed 9.5 oz (270 grams). In their short time on this earth, Zara and Kyla knew only love—the warmth of their parents’ arms, the sound of their voices, and the steady rhythm of their mother’s heartbeat. As their hearts slowed, they were at peace, surrounded by the unbreakable bond of family.

Grief and Fear: A Father’s Love and a Mother’s Struggle for Recovery

After the birth of Zara and Kyla, Hayley remained in the hospital for five days, battling a potentially life-threatening infection. The physical toll was immense, but the emotional pain was even greater. During this time, our family and friends came together, surrounding Hayley and Mark with love and prayer, doing everything we could to support them in their darkest hours.

Mark, devastated by the loss of his baby girls and overwhelmed with grief and worry, never left Hayley’s side for more than a moment. He feared for her life as she fought to recover. With unwavering faith, he prayed for her recovery, holding her hand, offering quiet prayers, and watching over her with a love as steadfast as his heartbreak.

In the quiet moments, their beloved daughters lay wrapped in lovingly knitted blankets, resting in a cooling bassinet beside their parents. Together, Hayley and Mark grieved the unimaginable loss of their twin girls, whose lives ended just moments apart. They spent those days speaking softly to their daughters, kissing their delicate cheeks, and honoring their brief but beautiful lives. The heartbreak was beyond words, but their love for Zara and Kyla radiated through every moment. Surrounded by the prayers and support of those who love them, they clung to the only thing stronger than their sorrow: the faithful love of God, knowing their baby girls are forever cradled in His loving arms.

A Grief Beyond Words

The pain of this loss is indescribable. Watching Hayley and Mark grieve their daughters, and grieving alongside them and our family, has been the most heartbreaking experience of my life. They are strong, loving, and faithful, but this loss has left a wound that no words can heal.

We know that Zara and Kyla are not truly gone. They are in Heaven, watching over their parents with the same love they received here on earth. I imagine them dancing together, joyful and free, surrounded by the siblings we pray God will bless Hayley and Mark with in the future. We hold onto our faith that Zara and Kyla will send their parents a blessing when the time is right. They will always be older sisters, dancing with their siblings in Heavenly light, and in God’s timing–sending their parents a sibling where Heaven has held them in God’s grace until they land safely in their parents loving arms.

Hayley and Mark shared, “We desperately pray that God, in His infinite grace, and our precious babies in heaven will send us a healthy baby to bring home. We hold on to the hope that one day, we will be blessed with the opportunity to nurture and love a child here on Earth, knowing that Zara and Kyla are watching over us, guiding us, and waiting for the perfect moment in God’s time.”

An Unbearable Loss: How You Can Help

Hayley and Mark are now grappling with an unimaginable loss. As they grieve, they are also facing significant financial strain. Years of fertility and IVF treatments depleted their savings, and now they are burdened with medical bills, burial expenses, and the cost of future infertility treatments as they pray for another chance to bring a baby home.

Both Hayley and Mark are unable to work. For Hayley, returning to the NICU, where she cares for babies as small as her daughters, is a pain too deep to bear right now. Mark has taken time away from work to support his wife and begin healing together. We are asking for your support to help Hayley and Mark through this devastating time. Your generosity will allow them to grieve without the added burden of financial stress and help them take steps toward building their family in the future.

Your donations will go toward:

A Family Who Gives So Much

Hayley and Mark are two of the most loving, selfless, and devoted individuals anyone could know. Their hearts are overflowing with love, and their desire to be parents has always been at the center of their dreams. They are the kind of people who give without hesitation, who care deeply for those around them, and who put others' needs above their own. They have shown time and again their capacity to love, nurture, and care for others, especially their family.

As parents, they would be nothing short of phenomenal. They have a deep understanding of the value of life, the power of love, and the importance of nurturing those around them. Their love for Zara and Kyla, even though their time with them was heartbreakingly brief, is immeasurable, and the depth of their devotion will always remain. It is clear to everyone who knows them that they were meant to be parents, and that the love and strength they have for each other will guide them as they continue on this journey. There is no doubt in our hearts that they will be the most loving, nurturing, and incredible parents to the children they are yet to bring into this world, and they deserve nothing less than the family they have dreamed of.

Our Gratitude

To everyone who has already offered love, prayers, and support—thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Hayley and Mark are especially grateful to the team at Yale New Haven Hospital, whose compassion and care during the most difficult night of their lives meant the world to them.

Zara and Kyla were miracles, lights in this world that were too bright and beautiful to stay. “We needed them more than we could ever express, and as we face life without them, the ache is unbearable. It’s hard to comprehend not being able to nurture them, to raise them here on Earth. Zara and Kyla were the most beautiful souls we’ve ever witnessed, their purity and innocence too perfect for this world. We will carry them in our hearts forever, and we will never stop speaking their names.” We ask that you join us in honoring their memory by supporting their parents as they navigate this heartbreaking journey.

Thank you for reading, for your prayers, and for helping this beautiful family in their time of need.

With love and gratitude,

Rachel, loving sister of Hayley & Mark Trusty, Parents of Zara & Kyla