Alexa PenaVega shared a touching tribute to her stillborn daughter Indy on what would have been her first birthday.
There are times when pain runs deeper than words. When someone we love is taken too soon, we’re left with a silence that only God can fill.
Many of us have felt that kind of heartbreak—when the only thing keeping us together is God’s peace holding us steady.
It’s in those moments we come face to face with how much we need Him to carry what we cannot.
On April 13, Alexa and her husband Carlos remembered their daughter Indy, who was born still last year. They posted a photo of their three children—Ocean, 8, Kingston, 5, and Rio, 3—gathered around a picture of their baby sister.
“Happy heavenly birthday Indy girl. Our little world changer. Psalm 34:18,” the caption read. The verse says, “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.”
They had not shared a photo of Indy before. Last year, Alexa described her as “absolutely beautiful” and said she looked “just like daddy. Dark hair and all.” Alexa also shared a photo of herself holding Indy in the hospital. She was crying and had a tissue box beside her.
She wrote, “This was the most painful moment I have ever experienced. I remember it feeling so hard to breathe. Such a deep aching pain… How was this real? It didn’t feel real. Every emotion flooded in at once.”
Even in that moment, Alexa said they felt something beyond their own strength. She added, “And yet, despite devastating loss, we felt so held… so covered… a super natural peace. It was all out of our control. We had to give it all over to God.”
Alexa said that the weight of grief was too heavy for them, so God carried it. “He took the weight off of us and draped us in His peace.”
In the year since her passing, they have seen the effect Indy’s life has had on others. Alexa wrote, “We watched people heal because of Indy. We watched grief lifted because of Indy. We watched relationships be restored… God gave her life SO MUCH FRUIT… so much meaning and purpose.”
Carlos also honored Indy by sharing the post to his Instagram story with the words, “Happy Birthday, Indy!” and commented, “Love my little Indy girl ❤️❤️❤️”
Back in April 2024, the couple announced her stillbirth on Instagram. They wrote, “There are never the right words to say when it comes to loss. After a beautiful and peaceful delivery our daughter ‘Indy’ was born at rest. It has been a painful journey. But in the pain we have found peace.”
They shared that grief came in waves and added, “We feel grateful for her life but absolutely gutted that she’s gone.”
They said Indy changed their lives in many ways. “We can’t understand why things like this happen and we may never get those answers. Indy Rex PenaVega, you completely changed our world. You moved us to a new place. You gave us the community we have been longing for.”
In a later update, Alexa said they were doing “really well, considering everything.” She said they had felt “an insane amount of peace” even while walking through pain.
“It might be hard to understand unless you’ve experienced this kind of loss,” she said. “But I really do hope that you guys can see the crazy peace that we have, even through the pain.”
On Indy’s birthday, Alexa closed her post with, “Our sweet girl is celebrating with Jesus today. And while we still mourn and wish we had her in our arms… we know she is waiting for us in a place that is beyond anything we can imagine.”
She ended with Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’”
Her words help remind us that even when we do not have full understanding, God’s promises remain true. The loss of a child is hard to speak about, but Alexa and Carlos have shown how God can bring peace through sorrow.
Indy’s life may have been short, but her impact continues.
Let us keep the PenaVega family in our prayers and ask God to comfort others who are walking through the same pain.
May His peace surround every grieving heart.
