My name is Amelia Zamora-Whitlow, a 43 year old hardworking, family oriented, outdoor loving person. I come from a real big family, the 2nd oldest of 7 pre-mature children, one who is in heaven watching over us.
My husband and I met in high school in 2007. He wanted to ask me to homecoming, but I was not allowed to date. His older brother's girlfriend, Melody, at the time, asked my brother if he could take me, and he told her, "No!" She slapped him—lol. Shortly after meeting, I ended up changing schools to the one he had just come from, and we realized we knew a lot of the same people. Later, we lost touch, and it wasn’t until several years later that I ran into him at his job. I remember giving him my number, but he never called—respectfully, because he had a girlfriend. I do remember thinking, "If it’s meant to be, it will be." Then, I saw him again at a club, and as we walked by each other, there was that smile. Shortly after that, I somehow started chatting with Melody again, and she informed him that I was single. He reached out to me on MySpace with that message: "Hey, Beautiful." We’ve never been apart since then.
I strongly believe in faith and things happening in their own time. I believe that was our first test of faith, and having children was our second test of faith. We knew after we got married that we wanted kids, and I always had a feeling in the back of my mind that I might have issues. I never imagined the heartache it would bring us or the challenges as newlyweds. I faced so much doubt in myself as a woman of faith and endured challenges and negativity from others who didn’t understand—because having children was easy for them, while I was struggling to carry at all. I questioned everything about myself, my relationship, and my faith. I will say that I couldn’t have done anything without my amazing husband. Words cannot express how much he was my rock, how much he held me, and the patience he had with everything, even when I couldn’t comprehend it all. I needed him more than he could have ever known. I feel like God knew I would face certain challenges in my life, and He sent me the most amazing husband ever.
We had our first miscarriage after 4 weeks; my body naturally aborted it. I can’t express the feelings and thoughts running through my mind at that time. I didn’t know how to process it. I was beside myself. It was then that I wanted to start looking into testing and seeing if there was anything going on. I met with several other doctors who were more negative and discouraging rather than hopeful and optimistic. Dr. Hadad of the Houston Fertility Clinic was everything and so much more for us. He gave us hope, faith, and the belief that we could do this, and that there is always a way. We did testing, and I had a slight hormonal deficiency. We just needed to monitor it and take the necessary precautions and medications to help with the next pregnancy.
We waited a little over a year, and this time I was able to carry it longer—almost 11 weeks. But this time it was so much harder for me mentally, physically, and emotionally. I had gone to the doctor to see the baby, heard its heartbeat, took some sonograms, and headed home. As soon as I got home, I started to miscarry. I had full labor pains and even passed the fetus at home. I went to the hospital to have an emergency D&C because I couldn’t stop the bleeding, but it wasn’t until I got home that I realized, in my shock, I had left the fetus on the bathroom counter. So small and so visible. My heart broke into a million pieces. I took an Amazing Grace box I had, placed it inside, and went to bury it next to my little brother so our child would never be alone and would have their uncle to watch over them. It was the most traumatic experience I had ever gone through.
At that point, my depression and anxiety escalated. I started medication for both because I was starting to have triggers, and I would experience panic attacks while driving and become unable to breathe. The third miscarriage was at 13, almost 14, weeks. Again, the pain and suffering of going through the same thing, with no child to bring home.
This had taken a toll on me—my body and state of being. We then decided to try IUI. I took hormone injections for two weeks, then went to the office and had two procedures done, back to back, on consecutive days. Exactly two weeks after the day of conception, we found out we were expecting. I must say, it’s the hardest thing to be excited and happy about something that can so easily be taken away in weeks. I was scared every day but went in weekly for checkups. And this time it worked!
We finally had our baby girl! All the way until her birth, I couldn’t believe it—even after bringing her home, I couldn’t believe it. It was like a bad dream was over, and she was here. What we had waited for so long was finally in our arms. She was ours. I loved her so much, I thought my heart was going to pop out. Two and a half years later, we naturally conceived our second son, but under the care of our fertility specialist and with some medication. We now had our family of four!

When you grow up, you never think about the "what ifs": What if I can't have kids? What if I can't carry them full term, or what if I have complications? I felt like I couldn't do the one job I was born to do as a woman. I questioned myself as a woman. I questioned my faith and wondered, "Why me?" I was angry, depressed, and going through so many unanswered questions. All I knew was that I now have three angels watching over us. And although it's a pain that will never, ever go away, I will never forget them. I will hug and love these two miracle rainbow babies I have now so much and never take for granted the gift of their lives and being able to be their mother.
There is no one I could ever rely on as much as my husband. I was angry, depressed, emotionally exhausted. I was at my worst, and he never let me down. He never stopped loving me. In fact, he carried me through it all. He is, and will always be, my true hero. I now know that there are things beyond my control, and although I will never have answers as to why things happened, I know that I would do it all again to be right where I am. All the suffering and emotion of it all taught us how strong our love is—that we can get through anything together. We have each other's backs, and most importantly, we fight for each other. Being parents, watching each other grow, loving our children, learning, playing, and just being a family is all we have ever wanted.
As much as I doubted myself, I can’t stress enough how important it is to have emotional support. My husband played a huge role in this for me, and I’m grateful for God sending him to be with me every day.
This project is something I hold very close and deep to my heart and soul. I have been there. I want to be an advocate for other women who are or have gone through the same thing, to let them know they are not alone. They are enough, even if they don’t feel like it right now. I want to explain to them how not to give up. Family comes in all sorts of ways, and it’s possible. There is always a rainbow after the storm, but remember, the rainbow never ends—you just have to find your place within it, in your own time and in your own way. 🌈
Never handle your emotions on your own. Always try to talk to someone close—your husband, friend, or family member. Sometimes having that person can go a long way when you're at your lowest point.
Photographers note: I was so moved by Amelia's story. I met her many years ago and had the privilege of photographing her family, yet I had no idea of the journey she faced on her path to motherhood. Hearing her share her story of loss and the hope that followed has been a reminder of the strength and resilience that she and so many women carry. I am continually in awe of these mommas—their enduring courage in the face of heartache and their determination to keep moving forward, even through the most difficult moments. Thank you so much, Amelia, for your vulnerability, your heart to share your story and encourage others. I'm incredibly honored to have you and your beautiful kiddos be a part of this year's project.