Life is unpredictable. No matter how carefully we plan or dream, we never truly know what challenges lie ahead. But one thing must remain constant: our courage to keep fighting and our hope that, even in the darkest moments, things can turn around.
Chelsea Hough was glowing with anticipation as she prepared to welcome her baby into the world. Her pregnancy had gone smoothly, and at 36 weeks, she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy—Karson Jax Hough.
At first, everything seemed perfect. Karson appeared healthy and strong in those precious first moments. But suddenly, the unimaginable happened—his heartbeat began to slow, then stopped altogether.
In a desperate attempt to revive him, doctors placed Karson on his mother’s chest for skin-to-skin contact. Miraculously, his heart began to beat again. But the relief was short-lived. His tiny body couldn’t sustain itself, and he was quickly placed on a ventilator to support both his heart and lungs.
“The only way to describe what has happened is that this beautiful baby boy has suffered two very rare conditions—completely unrelated to each other. One of them remains without a known cause,” wrote Karson’s Nana, Lisa Hough.
What doctors eventually uncovered was devastating. Little Karson had experienced a hemorrhage in his left temporal lobe. On top of that, he was diagnosed with nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH), a rare and incurable genetic disorder that causes glycine—a natural amino acid—to build up to dangerous levels in the body’s tissues and fluids.
The prognosis was heartbreaking. Doctors gently explained that Karson’s chances of survival were incredibly slim. After countless hours of testing, hoping, and praying, they advised the family to consider removing Karson from life support.
It was a decision no parent should ever have to face. But after deep reflection, prayer, and with unimaginable strength, the family chose to let their sweet boy go peacefully. Doctors informed them they would have just ten final minutes to hold Karson in their arms—ten sacred minutes to say goodbye.
on tight.”
