A month after announcing her daughter's stillbirth, actress Alexa PenaVega is grateful that her faith in God has strengthened.
"We're actually doing really well, considering everything," she told her followers in an emotional video posted to her social platforms.
"We have been so thankful reading all of your messages of support. All the prayers that you guys have prayed, we have felt them. Like, let me tell you, I don't know how else we would've gotten through this season without all of you lifting us up in prayer… I don't care what anyone says, the power of prayer is so real."
ALEXA PENAVEGA AND HUSBAND CARLOS MOURN THE LOSS OF STILLBORN DAUGHTER INDY
PenaVega shared that the loss of her daughter, Indy, has been "the most traumatic thing" that not only she, but her entire family have experienced. She's relied heavily on her faith to process the grief.
"It's been really incredible to see how God has just moved through our family during this time. We have obviously felt a lot of pain, a lot of pain. But also, an insane amount of peace. Like, God has really met us in this place between pain and peace," she explained. "It really doesn't make any sense other than it is his supernatural peace, that is just covering us and allowing us to still go through grief and to still, you know, walk through this valley, but not alone. And not without purpose."
"This season, I have learned so much about pain with purpose," the "Spy Kids" star explained.
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"Losing Indy was very hard. And then, right after losing her, my health declined a lot. And nobody could figure out what was wrong. And it was a very hard season for all of us to navigate," she revealed. "But I don't think I've ever surrendered in this way to God in my life. Like you think, ‘God, I’m gonna surrender. I'm gonna surrender. I'm gonna surrender.' But until you get to this point, you don't even realize the type of surrender that you're capable of."
Announcing her pregnancy in November 2023, PenaVega documented the experience for followers. She was transparent about all the struggles she faced. She experienced an earlier scare and was hospitalized for five days in her third trimester due to bleeding.
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Recalling her time in the hospital after Indy's birth, PenaVega said she hoped that God would show her that her pain was purposeful.
"I just remember completely surrendering and having the pain in my heart from loss, the pain in my body from…trying to figure out what's going on with me, I just kept praying, ‘God, give this pain purpose. Any time my body is feeling pain, God, may you turn it into purpose. Whether it's moving whatever's in my body out. Whether it's pushing these emotions through my body, God, like whatever it is, do not let this pain go to waste.' That was my prayer."
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"Indy's little life has transformed us, like, completely. Our family has never been stronger. My faith has never been stronger. My marriage has never been stronger," she said through tears. "Her life was so purposeful in just that short little bit that we had with her. And while she might not have taken a breath here on earth, she did not go without purpose."
"God has really prepared us to walk through this season and not feel completely abandoned. It might be hard to understand unless you've experienced this kind of loss. But I really do hope that you guys can see the crazy peace that we have, even through the pain. And I do hope that you could see how much God is at work," she urged her followers. "And how much fruit little Indy's life has produced already."
PenaVega and her husband, Carlos, are parents to two sons and one daughter. They married in 2014, shortly after meeting at bible study.
