An extraordinary Mom gave birth to a baby while on life support. The mother, Carrie DeKlyen from Wyoming had brain cancer. She refused chemotherapy and a chance for a clinical trial so that her baby could live. She made the decision in May when she was still conscious. Unfortunately, she died a day after giving birth.
Carrie’s cancer
According to DeKlyen's husband Nick, symptoms of his wife’s disease only manifested in March. At first, the family thought it was a simple migraine. However, tests showed that there was a mass in her brain. The doctors hoped it wasn’t cancerous.
She didn't know she was pregnant or that she had brain cancer until she experienced severe headaches and went for tests.
She agreed to have it removed. Later on, the doctors discovered that it was glioblastoma, a kind of tumor that is very difficult to treat. She was then referred to the University Of Michigan. She qualified for a clinical trial that could potentially extend her life to up to 15 years. She simultaneously found out that she was pregnant so she made a decision to forego all potential treatments. In May she decided she no longer wanted to undergo chemotherapy.
Ultimate sacrifice
According to reports from local news organization WGRZ, her life could have been extended if she had been subjected to chemotherapy and clinical trials.
However, undergoing both meant she would have to terminate her pregnancy. It was not an option for DeKlyen. When her condition deteriorated, she was attached to machines to keep her and her baby alive. A few months after her diagnosis, she gave birth to a baby girl.
DeKlyen gave birth to baby girl Life at the University of Michigan Hospital last Wednesday (Sept.
6, 2017). A day after she gave birth, the doctors decided to remove her life support including feeding and breathing tubes, which meant she' would die. It was a bittersweet scene for the family of DeKlyen as they had to say goodbye to her while welcoming baby Life into the world. Baby Life is the sixth child of Nick and Carrie.
Reports say they had decided the name of the baby even before she was conceived.
Although obviously painful, her husband Nick thought that his wife made the right decision. He told the news reporters that he supported her all the way. Choosing to have the baby instead of her own recovery was a tough choice but Nick stood by her. Not long after the tubes keeping her alive were removed, the mother passed away.
