Mom shares heartbreaking back-to-school photo after her daughter's passing

Herndon, Va. (WTXF) - A mother shared a heartbreaking back-to-school photo on what would have been her daughter's first day of school.

On her Facebook page, Prayers for Kate, a photo that was posted shows an empty doorstep outside the Rhoades family home in Herndon, Virginia. It's the place where little Kate, who was 4 when she died on January 12, would have posed for that first-day snap.

Kate Rhoades should have started kindergarten this week. She should have been dropped off this morning with a new backpack full of supplies a cute new outfit on...and a bow in her hair. There should be a first day photo of her proudly smiling on our front porch. A classroom with a teacher excited to learn more about her. A desk with her name.