Alexis Fretz holds the tiny hand of her son Walter
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmNWn1ttBTeqwM01B3TMBF13Pru7Ip2eoVhI4jBFkwoWch-FdP5w32DEre4Ggke8-RDJGYZNMrO6uLB1b8kTgtHfcFH7PXS6FCVcmIbvBJbkgpfF4lCF5shVSpZ18M9ukt7VyqQzbO8ND/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE589900000578-780_634x949.jpg)
Fretz holds her son, who was born after she went into labor while only 19 weeks pregnant
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoerfJhIJFVj7k2m67ST0HoC8Hp8ZLGFhl32CcIP52WJX2Upo0k6opT9vlNErkcWxO-xbH2je3gZfHTnMzKJCHiXh-JaAeu3kz_GVat3GHCmSZHHfEtg97WE9qA7-Mw_fuj2cMcjiGF73q/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58E500000578-250_634x475.jpg)
Walter's tiny heart was still beating as his mother and father said their goodbyes
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uO35n664yK9fy4WHdtX-su4OfGQlQsPUN8DHF67lZ9yY4mDXix4KGGDTSckh53SSfSPtBBV96DYFZ7FP5M8q_alTjbo3EWAKWnhrFuT-N0nw7tWhT39N7CuM-7YKZnxeNfUKbukZiGwO/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58CD00000578-525_634x712.jpg)
Joshua Fretz and his wife Alexis say being able to hold their son and say goodbye has helped their healing process
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOuqFJWY_Kh-OOxVG2WKtQBpZXeFWkq7Fqf-n9Yf3wdr1hK-u0_Eqz4NZacFr3PkBjzVlu9E-c2Zf402gGulXyURSYZkdsX8Uo9M8ovw0n-r66ex3W3T_LAv06OcJ80qd42NLNlD8R7xw/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58DD00000578-338_634x825.jpg)
Fretz says the term 'fetus' is insulting, and that her son was a baby, even though he was so tiny
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCOL7DO5lPstODGXRIn3D84WZAS9_LOutTcGPwbqaMzJPx0cMpjxYle2_tp74YCCBtK5j77DV3iesTOC4_L3PHayLAtwm22ZQ5WQsRkStk-CWd4QxdDPBgogbO3v_XqGqSPyzeiLmotaZ/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58AD00000578-378_634x422.jpg)
The Fretzes also wanted their two daughters to be able to farewell their longed-for brother
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNMshEkGkIWq-yVIbyxHFANziztEkyejgfazcNYzMiBRgkyHgNUGzi0jTp7BxM8x3PoJLq-gAnvJG7b-jKt_6ohbWicFmC7am3l7ae5FWu-Q4GmNulMAVkSyOGpCkD3PpZdI-8z4NxA6N/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58BD00000578-171_634x415.jpg)
Alexis Fretz says pre-term labor and miscarriage aren't spoken about and many women are not given an opportunity to grieve after losing a baby early in pregnancy
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem_Y_lnovIFG7zx9jmJTizCkRg4BdE_vH03bclNRWzqN57alP46AEBgIqsLIxOy-yor4VbxYXYeplH6gS5wneeqrzWUbegUd0AleS4hOWA02ySYzV7JyM_sRJmN-KAxzy0gujALIYEya5/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58D100000578-511_634x844.jpg)
Photographs and memories are all the Fretzes have left of Walter
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8WzgtsMh2KApLO7u6asrGOVHDZZL_L2NyWwQhZH9AldlZfWDGwSxcze0OCFPqqiz_bRofkuO5zXFOqE0HN8tBaNNJkYhZKwAcKLR0bAMj-0JHZ0EC-PIUYZycgMzahhgrKOeA3V34W3c/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58C100000578-107_634x790.jpg)
Source![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmNWn1ttBTeqwM01B3TMBF13Pru7Ip2eoVhI4jBFkwoWch-FdP5w32DEre4Ggke8-RDJGYZNMrO6uLB1b8kTgtHfcFH7PXS6FCVcmIbvBJbkgpfF4lCF5shVSpZ18M9ukt7VyqQzbO8ND/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE589900000578-780_634x949.jpg)
Fretz holds her son, who was born after she went into labor while only 19 weeks pregnant
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoerfJhIJFVj7k2m67ST0HoC8Hp8ZLGFhl32CcIP52WJX2Upo0k6opT9vlNErkcWxO-xbH2je3gZfHTnMzKJCHiXh-JaAeu3kz_GVat3GHCmSZHHfEtg97WE9qA7-Mw_fuj2cMcjiGF73q/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58E500000578-250_634x475.jpg)
Walter's tiny heart was still beating as his mother and father said their goodbyes
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4uO35n664yK9fy4WHdtX-su4OfGQlQsPUN8DHF67lZ9yY4mDXix4KGGDTSckh53SSfSPtBBV96DYFZ7FP5M8q_alTjbo3EWAKWnhrFuT-N0nw7tWhT39N7CuM-7YKZnxeNfUKbukZiGwO/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58CD00000578-525_634x712.jpg)
Joshua Fretz and his wife Alexis say being able to hold their son and say goodbye has helped their healing process
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoOuqFJWY_Kh-OOxVG2WKtQBpZXeFWkq7Fqf-n9Yf3wdr1hK-u0_Eqz4NZacFr3PkBjzVlu9E-c2Zf402gGulXyURSYZkdsX8Uo9M8ovw0n-r66ex3W3T_LAv06OcJ80qd42NLNlD8R7xw/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58DD00000578-338_634x825.jpg)
Fretz says the term 'fetus' is insulting, and that her son was a baby, even though he was so tiny
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCOL7DO5lPstODGXRIn3D84WZAS9_LOutTcGPwbqaMzJPx0cMpjxYle2_tp74YCCBtK5j77DV3iesTOC4_L3PHayLAtwm22ZQ5WQsRkStk-CWd4QxdDPBgogbO3v_XqGqSPyzeiLmotaZ/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58AD00000578-378_634x422.jpg)
The Fretzes also wanted their two daughters to be able to farewell their longed-for brother
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNMshEkGkIWq-yVIbyxHFANziztEkyejgfazcNYzMiBRgkyHgNUGzi0jTp7BxM8x3PoJLq-gAnvJG7b-jKt_6ohbWicFmC7am3l7ae5FWu-Q4GmNulMAVkSyOGpCkD3PpZdI-8z4NxA6N/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58BD00000578-171_634x415.jpg)
Alexis Fretz says pre-term labor and miscarriage aren't spoken about and many women are not given an opportunity to grieve after losing a baby early in pregnancy
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhem_Y_lnovIFG7zx9jmJTizCkRg4BdE_vH03bclNRWzqN57alP46AEBgIqsLIxOy-yor4VbxYXYeplH6gS5wneeqrzWUbegUd0AleS4hOWA02ySYzV7JyM_sRJmN-KAxzy0gujALIYEya5/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58D100000578-511_634x844.jpg)
Photographs and memories are all the Fretzes have left of Walter
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8WzgtsMh2KApLO7u6asrGOVHDZZL_L2NyWwQhZH9AldlZfWDGwSxcze0OCFPqqiz_bRofkuO5zXFOqE0HN8tBaNNJkYhZKwAcKLR0bAMj-0JHZ0EC-PIUYZycgMzahhgrKOeA3V34W3c/s1600/article-2542212-1ACE58C100000578-107_634x790.jpg)
Alexis Fretz was 30 years old and 19 weeks pregnant with her third child when she began bleeding lightly.
Not overly worried, she called her midwife and as a precaution was advised to head to the ER in a Kokomo, Indiana hospital for a check-up. By the end of the day, her son Walter had been born and died in her arms.