Walker Myrick and Willis Myrick were meant to be twin brothers who explored the world together. However, due to unfortunate circumstances, one of them did not make it into this world.
Before the twins were born, Willis fell victim to twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS), and hence ceased to exist while in the womb.
Even though the two boys did not get to know one another in this life, they still share a special connection according to mother Brooke Davis.
“It’s just one of those things. I truly believe he’ll always have a connection with his brother,” she says.
The young boy would often dream of his twin brother and would be taken to Willis’ grave as well by his parents where he would have full-on conversations with his dead brother. Davis would sometimes take pictures of these encounters that warmed her heart.
In 2012 when Walker was 5 years old and had just begun Kindergarten, he paid a visit to his brother’s grave. He leaned against the gravestone and told his brother all about his first day of school.
“Willis truly lives through Walker – and I think he watches over him,” Davis says.
She says the little boy would be so excited to see his brother that he would jump out of the car even before Davis herself did.
In a video made on Christmas 2016, when Walker was 9 years old, he said on camera, “I still remember my brother today, and he watches over me all the time.”
Davis says Walker’s bond with Willis has given her peace and helped her accept the loss of her child more easily than it would have been otherwise for her.
But Davis does not want to forget Willis ever. Every year on the twins’ birthday, the family organizes “The Walker and Willis Birthday Walk.” It is accompanied by an auction and a t-shirt sale to raise funds.
The goal of the event is to raise awareness about TTTS and also to donate $2,500 annually to the TTTS Foundation. Davis also has advise for families going through what she did with TTTS.
“I would tell them to know that their children never leave them.”
And with how Walker still remembers and honors his twin brother who never even made it into the world, this rings very true.