Mom Whose Baby Died in Her Arms Defends Emilie Kiser’s Social Media Return Exclusive

There is no deeper heartbreak than the death of a child. It’s a loss that reshapes every part of a parent’s world.

And while the moment of loss is devastating, the days that follow – learning to live with that absence – can feel equally as impossible.

For Laney Miller, a 28-year-old mother from Kokomo, Ind., losing her firstborn just five days after giving birth left a “lifelong impact” on her and her family. 

During her pregnancy, Miller developed severe preeclampsia — a serious complication often characterized by high blood pressure and protein in the urine.

As a result, the expecting mother was sent into an emergency C-section at just 26 weeks. Her daughter – born weighing only 1 lb., 9 oz. – was airlifted to a NICU an hour away from the hospital where she was delivered.

“When my daughter first passed away, I was in complete shock,” Miller says. “After leaving the hospital, I went home, laid on the couch and sobbed uncontrollably for days.”

“She was our first child, and we had been so excited,” she adds.

Despite her partner’s unwavering support, Miller admits that the couple was “drowning” in their grief. Not being able to eat or sleep, she slowly sank deeper into depression.

“To go through pregnancy, give birth, and hold onto so much hope for her to come home, only to leave the hospital empty-handed and return to a home filled with silence was absolutely devastating,” Miller explains.

“The loss of a child is a kind of grief you can’t put into words; it’s something no one can truly understand unless they’ve lived it. It feels unnatural, against everything in our biology, and it will never make sense.”

When it came time for her daughter’s funeral, Miller admits she doesn’t remember parts of it. Being in “survival mode,” all she could think back to was their sex reveal party and how excited she was to be having a baby girl. 

“I had made so many plans for us, and suddenly the life I had envisioned was gone in an instant,” she says. “Losing a child isn’t just losing them in the present; it’s losing all the future moments – their first words, their milestones, their school dances, graduation or their wedding.” 

Whenever someone told her the little one was “in a better place,” Miller couldn’t help but feel a surge of frustration.

“Anger at the world, at God, at anyone. Every time I looked at my C-section scar and my postpartum body, I cried,” she reveals. “It was a constant, physical reminder that she was gone. Life felt unbearably unfair.”

When it came time to return to work, Miller was nowhere close to ready, but she says she had no choice. Eight weeks after her daughter’s death, she was back in the office.

“For weeks beforehand, I was filled with anxiety knowing that day was coming, but… life doesn’t stop when your child passes away,” she emphasizes. “Bills still need to be paid, and you still have to find a way to survive.”

Unfortunately, none of her coworkers had been aware of the news, and Miller was bombarded with countless questions about her daughter and how she was doing.

“They thought I had simply given birth to a preemie, not realizing that I had been grieving through my entire maternity leave,” Miller says. “Those first few weeks were unbearable.”

Eventually, she buried herself in work to escape the pain, and her drive soon earned her a promotion and helped her maintain a steady routine — but the grief resurfaced when she found out she was pregnant, again.

“I was terrified. All the feelings I had buried came rushing to the surface, and I realized how much I had been suppressing just to keep going,” Miller admits.

Luckily, in March of 2025, a few years after losing her first child, Miller gave birth to a baby boy. 

Just two months later, however, in May 2025, influencer Emilie Kiser’s 3-year-old son tragically drowned in their backyard pool – a heartbreaking loss that unfolded online and one that Miller felt deeply.

With the passing of time, she quietly witnessed Kiser be “harshly criticized” by a myriad of opinions and judgments piling up on the 26-year-old’s platforms.

“I do not think a majority of people would treat their friends or their family the way they have treated people online, celebrities or influencers,” Miller states.

“I think a lot of people will say things behind the veil of a screen but would never be able to say what they are saying to a grieving mother’s face.”

On Sept. 24, 2025 – just four days after Kiser officially returned to social media and four months after her son’s death – Miller addressed the backlash in a TikTok post, responding to comments calling Kiser’s return “weird” and too soon.

“Everyone grieves differently, so I try not to compare my experience to anyone else’s. I do feel a lot of love for her and her family during this time because I know the magnitude of heartbreak she has endured,” Miller tells PEOPLE.

“I do feel as if she is being scrutinized for her every move, and I couldn’t imagine going through that on top of everything else she is dealing with.”

After sharing her own experience on social media, Miller began to realize how fortunate she had been to be afforded weeks off following her tragic experience.

“Most workplaces do not provide any special leave for parents who lose a child,” she learned after reading countless comments from parents who had almost no time to grieve. 

Some returned to work just days after stillbirths or the death of a young child, simply because their workplace didn’t allow more.

“That is why it is so important to speak up when you are given a platform,” she adds – hoping that by sharing the uncomfortable truths, she could help push for real change in how workplaces treat child loss.

Although it has been over two years since her daughter’s death, Miller says it took her about eight months to realize the pain was never going to disappear.

“Instead, you learn to live with it. You get used to carrying it, if that makes sense,” she explains. “I have thought about her every single day since she passed, and every night before bed, I replay the day I lost her.”

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Today, Miller admits she still struggles with insomnia, but credits her partner for pulling her out of depression and motivating her to keep going.

She has since found hobbies to keep herself busy, like exercising, DIY projects around the house, and spending time together as a family of three.

“Grief is nothing like what you see in the movies. It is messy, unpredictable, and there is no single right way to go through it,” she says.

“Some days you may not even be able to get out of bed, and other days you may find yourself at brunch with friends, laughing and smiling. Do not feel guilty for living again.”