I will never stop sharing the gut-wrenching, heartbreaking, soul-shattering story of our sweet Aliza Rose. She was just 8 days old when she unexpectedly passed away. She was my first baby, and although her pregnancy wasn’t planned, I was overjoyed when I found out I was expecting her. I named her Aliza after the character from The Wild Thornberrys, choosing the name after a Christmas-inspired gender reveal revealed she was a girl.

My pregnancy was tough, and I went into premature labor in February 2018. Thankfully, the doctors managed to stop it. The early contractions were terrifying, as she would have been born 10 weeks early, likely needing a long stay in the NICU. Fortunately, the medicine they gave me halted the contractions without harming her.

Aliza was due on May 16, 2018, but she arrived on May 12 at 11:52 p.m. After more than 19 hours of labor, I had an emergency C-section because her head got stuck in the birth canal. I was terrified of the surgery, but my excitement to meet her kept me going. When I finally saw and heard her cry, I fell head over heels in love with my perfect baby. Aliza weighed 8 lbs. 8 oz. and was absolutely beautiful. She was completely healthy and remained so for the first day and a half of her life.

Tragically, the HSV-1 virus, also known as the common cold sore virus, attacked her spine, lungs, and brain. Before she got sick, I didn’t mind people holding her, but I didn’t want anyone kissing her. As a new mom, I worried about everything, but I had no idea that babies could contract the HSV-1 virus. About 36 hours after her birth, she began showing symptoms: lack of energy, lack of eating, and low blood sugar.

By the end of the second day, her condition worsened, and she had to be transferred to a better hospital. All I could do was cry, pray, beg God to save my baby, and fight for the doctors to take me seriously. Initially, they thought her low blood sugar was the issue, but I knew something was wrong when she stopped eating and wouldn’t wake up. It wasn’t until I threw a fit that the doctors started taking it seriously.

Her condition deteriorated rapidly. Fluid built up in her lungs, causing her brain and lungs to swell. Her veins became visible in her chest from the swelling. Three days before we had to make the heart-wrenching decision to take her off life support, she was finally diagnosed with HSV-1.

Nearly 14,000 babies die each year from HSV-1, yet it’s rarely discussed. The virus is fatal to infants under two weeks old and sometimes even to older babies. Doctors couldn’t pinpoint when she contracted it but confirmed it happened during her first or second day of life.

It breaks my heart knowing that someone I loved unknowingly transmitted the virus to her, either through unwashed hands or a kiss. My family, Tyler, and a few close friends were the only ones who held her during those first two days. We had told people not to get too close if they were sick, but I now wish I had been stricter about no kissing.

We’ll never know who transmitted the virus to her because it’s so common. Part of me wants to know, but at the same time, I don’t because I’d never forgive them. I’d harbor a deep hatred because they inadvertently caused her death.

Despite her diagnosis, we initially held onto hope. On May 19, doctors told us that although her prognosis was grim, there was still a chance she could recover. But as her condition worsened, she needed oxygen and was eventually hooked up to so many machines that she was barely recognizable. The medication meant to keep her comfortable caused seizures.

The virus rapidly destroyed her body. On the day she was declared brain-dead, I held her as her heart stopped beating. It took just six and a half days for the virus to ravage her tiny body. Sitting with her, seeing her on those machines, I would throw up from the overwhelming grief. I sang “You Are My Sunshine” as she passed away. The pain of losing her is indescribable. Nurses’ voices telling me she was gone still echo in my head. The disease had eaten her lungs and brain, causing immense suffering.

There isn’t a moment that goes by that I don’t think of her. Aliza was chubby, happy, and cheeky, and she remains in my thoughts every day.

I share our story to raise awareness and save other babies. If even one baby is saved because of Aliza’s story, then her death wasn’t in vain. It’s crucial to understand that HSV-1 is not the same as the sexually transmitted HSV-2. You can be an HSV-1 carrier without having an STD. Please help us save lives by sharing our story and adhering to these simple guidelines: Do not kiss babies, always wash your hands before touching a newborn, and never kiss them.