Daily Inspiration: Meet Mikayla Norris

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mikayla Norris.

Hi Mikayla, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers.
My name is Mikayla Norris. I am 27 years old, a wife, and a mother to 3 + 1 in Heaven. I began sharing our story last summer, in July of 2022 – once we arrived in Nashville TN. I was pregnant at the time with twins and we were facing a lot of obstacles. Once I began sharing updates about my pregnancy, that turned into sharing updates about what we were facing and eventually the arrival of our twins.

It was unexpected as we were at Vanderbilt Hospital for a 3rd opinion on what we thought was our son’s heart condition. After being there for several hours, that lead to the decision of delivering our twins then and there. Our son Nash is who the attention was on primarily – though his twin sister and I were facing serious health problems as well. The delivery of our twins turned into the story of #NashStrong. 3 days later, we were informed by the incredible team of doctors that what once was a heart defect, was much bigger. Nash was born with a rare brain condition called Vein of Galen Malformation.

We quickly turned to our faith, asking for prayers and his story took off. It helped to share his story in a “Twin Mom” group on Facebook where thousands of mothers from all over the world started sharing our updates, along with people in our hometown. From the delivery to our son’s death, we reached people from all over the world. Including Nigeria, the UK, Iceland, etc. There are honestly too many places to count at this point. Knowing that Nash would pass, and soon after – I felt a calling in my life to share reels on Facebook and Instagram educating others about his condition. Since then, the videos of our journey through VOGM, being in the NICU, infant loss & grief, and continuing to parent our other children — we have reached over 3 million people now and it continues to grow today.

We were able to reach a family in Nigeria to the VOGM non-profit organization in hopes of getting them the medical care they needed as well. That would not have been possible without sharing this story. I will do all that I can as his mother to continue his legacy, educate others, and support lost mothers all over the world.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been the farthest thing from smooth. This journey has been incredibly difficult to navigate. We never could have imagined losing our son and becoming “twinless twin” parents. My entire pregnancy was hard on my mental and physical state, it was demanding from the start.

As a young family, it isn’t something you think of happening to you..but then it does and you are more than just a statistic. We have 3 other children, Maya, Mason & our son’s twin sister, Sunday Raine. Dealing with the effects of infant loss, postpartum, and caring for a newborn and other children has been the hardest thing I think one could face. It kind of strips back the fact that you are grieving and puts it on hold. Because life continues on, even when you are drowning in grief. Infant loss is also looked at as a foreign or an uncomfortable topic.

Not everyone wants to hear about it, and that makes it hard as well. Because that was a life, our son’s life, that deserves to be shared and remembered. I am sure other lost mothers/families can attest to this being a very lonely road to journey down. It’s hard, uncomfortable, and truly agonizing at times. But when you can find other stories, other mothers who are in your shoes – it helps. Our faith has also gotten us where we are today no doubt.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I never imagined specializing in infant loss, or creating videos about this kind of topic — but I find it to be comforting to know that the more it’s talked about, the more I share the raw moments…that is what people relate to most. I take pride in creating educational videos on Vein of Galen Malformation, finding gratitude in immense grief, and what infant loss truly looks like. It’s something I hope to be remembered for years to come. I am also very open about this being as big as it is now because of our faith. I never want to leave that part out. I am 100% certain there is a bigger hand at play for Nash’s story reaching millions.

I think it is incredibly brave to share something like this, vulnerable even. It shows that we are all humans who face life-altering times. It’s real and shows that not everything you see on social media is “perfect” or “fairytale-like”. I feel like sometimes motherhood is looked at like we are supposed to have it together at all times. And I am here to show that you do not have to. You can fall apart, lose it all, and make it through. I hope that I am known for showing up even when it hurts, really bad. If can help just one person, then that is what it’s about for our mission & sharing Nash’s story.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I don’t. I feel as if this has been organic from the start and that is what people relate to the most. When you open up and people can see the side of you that you may want to hide or put on a “poker face” – that big things can come from that.

You don’t have to have it all together or be poised and perfect. Sharing these moments of motherhood, grief, infant loss, and what joy looks like after… is what has worked well for me.

Contact Info:

• Website: vogm.org
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mikaylaknorris/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mikaylaknorris/

Image Credits
@mikaylaknorris