The couple were really excited about their 6th child but tragedy struck when Stephanie, at 18 weeks, started leaking amniotic fluid.
As a parent, it's impossible to imagine having to have to choose between your partner and your unborn baby. Michael Gerry Fotheringham McConnell, 33, found himself cornered and shocked when the doctor asked him to make such a split-second decision.
His fiancée Stephanie Brown, 29, was pregnant with their 6th child when the umbilical cord collapsed, leaving the parents with a decision to make. McConnell said he was "terrified" at being asked to make a decision between his fiancée and their unborn child by a doctor. The couple who hail from Falkirk, Scotland, were really excited about their 6th child but tragedy struck when Stephanie, at 18 weeks, started leaking amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord collapsed, reported New York Post.
They rushed to the hospital, where McConnell was informed the umbilical cord had collapsed, causing a serious complication that threatened the life of the unborn baby and the mother.
“The doctor that would deliver took me to one side and asked, ‘If push comes to shove, who survives? Mom or the baby?'” said McConnell. “I was terrified. When I learned my fiancée’s life was in danger, my heart froze — all I cared about, in that moment, was her being OK.”
He was staring at all these people who were waiting for an answer from him. The medics said they could try to help Stephanie hold onto the baby for another six weeks. He was told that the placenta had possibly stuck to Stephanie’s stomach and bladder and that a C-section was the best solution to keep the situation under check. McConnell said it was a taxing time for his family including the couple's 5 children.
The couple welcomed their child, Mickey Robert Gerry Fotheringham McConnell, three months early in November 2020. Both the baby and the mother survived but the baby's chances of survival were very low. The baby weighed just one pound and three ounces and things weren't looking good.
Doctors confirmed the baby wouldn't survive for long as his lungs were not growing at the same rate as his body and wouldn't be able to support his body. The baby died in Stephanie’s arms on July 24 before they could even bring him home. It had been all the more hard considering they had suffered a miscarriage a couple of years prior.
McConnell paid tribute to his son, “He fought a long and complicated fight, he died peacefully and painless in his mother’s arms. He was the brightest star I’ve ever known. I’ll never forget the impact my boy made on this earth, he truly was a warrior,” he said.
A GoFundMe campaign has been started to help support the family during this challenging time. Stella Bauros, who set up the page, wrote: “Your donations could help towards funeral costs and help ease the cost of living, for 8 months having a child fight for his life left Mick unable to work much throughout. This funding will help them massively, the last thing you should have to worry about during a time ridden with grief is finances.” Bauros added that the campaign would help the family give the baby the send-off he deserved.
References:
https://nypost.com/2022/08/01/i-was-forced-to-choose-between-my-baby-or-his-moms-life/
https://www.gofundme.com/f/please-help-us-raise-money-for-mick-stephanie
Cover Image Source: GoFundMe
