Earlier this month, country singer Randy Rogers and his wife, Chelsea, announced that their baby daughter, Rumor Rain, died only six days after being born. On Facebook, the Randy Rogers Band frontman said, “Rumer died of natural causes, in her parents loving arms, just days after her birth. During this time of grieving, the family asks that individuals wishing to offer condolences make a donation to the children’s charity of their choosing. The family thanks you for your love and support.”
Additionally, in a statement to radio station 93Q, Rogers said, “She died in our arms and in no pain. She was absolutely beautiful in every way. Her brain however was very sick. She died after a weeklong battle with a very rare condition. I’m sure you all have many questions and we have all the answers the doctors gave us. We can share the story with you. It’s quite an extraordinary one. A memorial will be planned soon. We love you.”
However, now Randy and Chelsea have revealed that their daughter’s death was due to a rare disease called nonketotic hyperglycinemia (NKH). The Daily Mail reports that the condition is considered incurable and affects only one in 66,000 births in the United States. Rogers explained how he first realized something was wrong with his daughter. He said, “She wouldn’t eat and she wouldn’t wake up. She was very lethargic, she never opened her eyes.”
The National Organization for Rare Disorders says that NKH is an autosomal recessive hereditary disorder caused by mutations affecting the breakdown of the amino acid glycine. Ultimately, the condition impacts the brain and children with the disorder usually struggle with breathing and eating and have seizures.
Although the couple is still devastated over the loss of Rumor, they haven’t given up on having more children together. In fact, they’ve decided to pursue in vitro fertilization rather than trying to conceive naturally. Rogers explained, “Now, because my daughter died and we now know we carry this gene, no one else in our family will have to have that happen to them and science is to thank for that.” He added, “It’s given us a lot of joy and hope knowing that it is possible for us to do this, it’s just going to have to be a different route than the traditional one.”
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As LifeNews previously reported, on June 3, Rumor Rain was born at Seton Memorial Hospital in Austin, Texas. Her parents shared a picture of their new addition on Twitter. Below the picture, they wrote, “Newest member of the Rogers family, Rumer Rain. It’s a good day, friends.” In 2013, Randy and Chelsea welcomed their first daughter, River Rose, into their family.
