'Heartbroken': Country star's 29-week preemie died in her parents' arms

This week, country star Drake White and his wife, Alex, announced the death of their daughter, Della Elizabeth. Della was born prematurely at 29 weeks, and lived for just 20 minutes after birth before passing away.

Key Takeaways:

• Drake White, a country star and lead singer of Drake White & The Big Fire, had been open about he and his wife Alex's struggles with infertility.

• They conceived daughter Della through IVF, and she was born prematurely on August 31 at 29 weeks. After living for just 20 minutes after birth, she tragically passed away.

The Details:

The couple announced the death of their daughter in a statement posted jointly to both of their Instagram accounts. Alongside a Bible verse ("The Lord is close to the broken-hearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit"), they shared a black-and-white photo of Alex holding baby Della in the hospital.

They wrote:

On Sunday, August 31st our precious daughter, Della Elizabeth White, went peacefully to be with Jesus. We are so thankful for the holy moments God gave us with her. The Lord has been so near and close to us during this difficult time. He has held us up and sustained us through it all.

We are heartbroken and soul tired, but we know we will get through this difficult time with the strength, peace, and joy that only our Heavenly Father can provide. May Della be held in the arms of Jesus until we see her again someday.

They further revealed that she was born at 8:52 am weighing just 3lbs 3.5 oz, and died at 9:12am. Numerous other stars, including Lauren Alaina, Jessie James Decker, and Chase Rice, sent their condolences.

Together, the couple also has a son, named William Hawk.

It is unclear whether other complications were involved, as children born at 29 weeks have an 80-90% or higher survival rate.

The Backstory:

Earlier this year, the Whites announced they were expecting their second baby after struggling with infertility and other health struggles. "We've been through so much," Drake said after their first pregnancy. "We've been through so much, from my having a stroke on stage to Alex being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and having an autoimmune disorder. And then this was just something else that tested our faith and tested our strength."

The couple decided to use in vitro fertilization (IVF) to conceive after other methods failed, and in May, announced they were pregnant for the second time.

"We were able to conceive through IVF and had our frozen embryo transfer in March," Alex said. "We found out we were pregnant 10 days later and are due in November."

Children conceived through IVF are at a higher risk for several complications, including a 2.5 times higher rate of premature birth.

The Bottom Line:

The White family has suffered a heartbreaking loss after struggling with infertility. Della was a valuable and precious human being who deserves to be recognized as such, and remembered with love.