Friday 23 October 2015

I forgave my best friend who killed my toddler - and she was one of the first people to meet the new little girl who has brought healing to our family


Cradling her new-born daughter, Brynn Johnson introduces the bundle of joy that has finally ended a year of unimaginable heartache.
Just over a year ago, the young mom's life was shattered when her best friend Cassie Miller accidentally ran over and killed her 17-month-old daughter Rowyn.
But on October 15 the 32-year-old gave birth to a beautiful baby daughter Mynrow and today reveals how Cassie, also 32, was one of the first people to meet the new addition to the family.
In an exclusive interview with Daily Mail Online, Brynn reveals all about her emotional delivery, the similarities Mynrow already shares with the big sister she will never meet and her terror after the baby had to spend her first 24 hours in intensive care.

New life: Brynn Johnson holds her baby Mynrow, just after leaving hospital with her new daughter. She says of the loss of first daughter, Rowyn: 'I could feel her with us, watching over to make sure everything went well.'
New life: Brynn Johnson holds her baby Mynrow, just after leaving hospital with her new daughter. She says of the loss of first daughter, Rowyn: 'I could feel her with us, watching over to make sure everything went well.'
Precious: Mynrow is now safely back home with parents Brynn and Cody Johnson. 'We chose the name Mynrow as it is almost an anagram of Rowyn's name, it just seemed perfect,' Brynn says

Bond: Cassie Miller was among the first to greet the new baby. 'She has an instant love for her just like she did Rowyn,' her best friend Brynn Johnson says

Bond: Cassie Miller was among the first to greet the new baby. 
Tragic: Roywn Johnson, the toddler daughter Cody and Brynn lost

Tragic: Roywn Johnson, the toddler daughter Cody and Brynn lost
Best friends: Brynn Johnson (right) and Cassie Miller (left). Johnson forgave her friend over the awful accident which killed her first daughter, Roywn, last year
Best friends: Brynn Johnson (right) and Cassie Miller (left). Johnson forgave her friend over the awful accident which killed her first daughter, Roywn, last year
Brynn, who lives with husband Cody, 35 and son Wyatt, four in Tenino, Washington, said: 'Mynrow's birth was incredibly emotional for all of us.
'It was the same hospital I delivered Rowyn and I replayed that beautiful moment throughout my labor.
'I placed Rowyn's picture in the hospital room and I could feel her with us, watching over to make sure everything went well.
'Each day since Mynrow has been born, my heart feels just a little bit better.
'I still miss my Rowyn so so much, but I know in my heart Rowyn had a huge part in sending us the perfect little baby for our family.
'I feel more than ever that she is with us every second watching over our family.
'I feel like we have our own personal guardian angel and it brings me comfort knowing that she will do everything she can to keep our family safe from above.
'We chose the name Mynrow as it is almost an anagram of Rowyn's name, it just seemed perfect.'
Mynrow was born on October 15 at 10.29am weighing 7 pounds 8 ounces and measuring 21 inches long.
While her labor was fast and easy, Brynn tells today how her joy turned to fear as Mynrow was rushed to intensive care just moments after she was born.
'The birth seemed to go fine, but suddenly doctors told me she had fluid on her lungs and needed oxygen support,' says Brynn.
Family: Mynrow is held by her brother Wyatt, four, after leaving the intensive care unit at the hospital where she was born

Family: Mynrow is held by her brother Wyatt, four, after leaving the intensive care unit at the hospital where she was born
Joy: Newborn Mynrow minutes after her safe arrival. 'I broke down, melted and cried tears of joy as I looked at my beautiful girl properly for the first time,' her mom says
Joy: Newborn Mynrow minutes after her safe arrival. 
Joy: Newborn Mynrow in the hospital. 'I broke down, melted and cried tears of joy as I looked at my beautiful girl properly for the first time,' her mom says
Joy: Newborn Mynrow in the hospital. 'I broke down, melted and cried tears of joy as I looked at my beautiful girl properly for the first time,' her mom says
'It was extremely hard for me and Cody, we were just so scared that something was wrong.
'I had to stay in the recovery room for a few hours before they let me go to the nursery to see her for the first time.
'It was then I broke down, melted and cried tears of joy as I looked at my beautiful girl properly for the first time. I was so full of love for this little girl.
'It was frightening to see her with tubes coming out of her nose, but the doctors reassured us it was common and that she would be perfectly fine soon.
'Thankfully they were right and after 23 hours she was back with us in our room, stable and happy.'
Brynn tells how even at just a few days old, her baby daughter already reminds her of Rowyn.
Brynn said: 'Mynrow has the sweetest demeanor about her just like her big sissy.
'She has dark brown hair like her daddy, which we are thrilled about because our other babies took after me, blondies.
'She has the perfect tanned olive skin tone like her daddy too.
'But while she is the spitting image of her daddy, she does have Rowyn's chin and I think they have the same lips, but so hard to tell when they are this small.
'She's very calm and hardly makes a peep. She has been extremely easy so far, besides momma adjusting to not sleeping again.
'I am curious to see how Mynrow grows if she will have more similarities to Rowyn.'
It was on September 16, 2014 when Brynn and Cassie's life was torn apart forever.
Cassie was picking up Brynn's son Wyatt and taking him to preschool with her own son Easton, five, when she accidentally ran over Rowyn.
Recalling that day, Cassie, who lives with husband Aaron,32, and other son Logan 21-months, said: 'Wyatt was crying as he didn't want to go to school, so Brynn and I were trying our best to get him in the car.
'Brynn had gone round the side of the house to get his booster seat and at that moment Wyatt jumped out of my car and ran back in the house.
Couple: Brynn Johnson and husband Cody. The couple are now parents to Mynrow after the loss of Rowyn

Couple: Brynn Johnson and husband Cody. The couple are now parents to Mynrow after the loss of Rowyn
Grief: Brynn Johnson with her first daughter, Rowyn. 'I am curious to see how Mynrow grows if she will have more similarities to Rowyn,' she says

Grief: Brynn Johnson with her first daughter, Rowyn.
Blonde family: Brynn Johnson says that unlike Mynrow, her first two children Rowyn (left with husband Cody) and Wyatt (right in her arms) were born blonde. 'She has the perfect tanned olive skin tone like her daddy too,' she says of newborn Mynrow

Blonde family: Brynn Johnson says that unlike Mynrow, her first two children Rowyn (left with husband Cody) and Wyatt (right in her arms) were born blonde. '
Legacy: In the aftermath of the accident, Brynn Johnson and her family turned to finding a charitable legacy to cope with the tragedy


Flashback: Baby Rowyn when she was born in 2013

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'It was then that Rowyn got out and came down the steps. I thought Rowyn was on the porch as I pulled out of the drive.
'But suddenly I felt a thump and both boys said 'What was that? 'I will never forget looking out of the rear view window and seeing Rowyn's lifeless body lying in the driveway.
'I saw her at exactly the same time as Brynn. I dived out of the car and as I scooped her out of Brynn's arms to lay her in the grass and give her CPR, I saw that Brynn's white robe was covered in blood.
'By this time Cody had come out of the house and we were all frantically trying to save her.
'The ambulance came and while they tried their best, Brynn and I sunk to our knees and prayed together in the grass. We were praying for a miracle.'
Sadly the miracle never came and paramedics said Rowyn died on impact of the car.
And both Cassie and Brynn's lives were blown into a million pieces.
Cassie said: 'I remember saying "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry" as I sobbed and screamed.
'I was in shock and could not believe what had happened. Every single day I struggle with what I did and the guilt is overwhelming.'
Yet incredibly, despite the tragic events of that day, the girls' friendship has gone from strength to strength.
Brynn has never blamed Cassie for what happened and instead blamed herself.
The girls were both determined some good would come of all they had lost and together created a charity in Rowyn's memory.
The charity is called Raise For Rowyn and is dedicated to help other families who have endured the pain of losing a child.
And it was Cassie who Brynn wanted to share her baby joy with first, when Mynrow was born.
She said: 'Cassie came to the hospital but didn't meet her there since she was in NICU, but after we came home she was one of our first visitors.
'She has an instant love for her just like she did Rowyn. It was very emotional for her as well and it was so beautiful to see the love in her eyes as she held her for the first time.'

Daily mail. 


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