Nicole Thea was a vibrant 24-year-old dancer and YouTuber whose life seemed filled with promise. Eight months pregnant with her son, Reign, she documented her journey with thousands who celebrated her energy, authenticity, and the radiant joy she brought to every video. Yet behind her smile, Nicole sensed danger. She struggled to breathe. Her pulse raced. She voiced her concerns repeatedly to her midwives, only to hear that everything she felt was “normal.”
It was not.
Unbeknownst to Nicole, she was living with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a serious undiagnosed heart condition that quietly threatened her life. One morning, that threat became reality. Her heart stopped, taking both her and baby Reign far too soon. Their loss is an urgent reminder that no concern during pregnancy should be dismissed, and that every voice—especially a mother’s—must be heard.