It’s no wonder that giving birth is extremely painful. That’s why we can all say mothers are superheroes. But, mothers are also wives – someone’s eternal love – and they can do anything to see that smile on their partner’s face as well. If you don’t believe that such a selfless love can exist, you should hear the heart-wrenching story of Diane Aulger, a recent mother living in The Colony, Texas.
Aulger recently gave birth to her child two-weeks early just so that her dying husband could get a final glimpse of the baby girl. Mark, her husband, did indeed get a glimpse of his baby girl, the fifth child in the family, before taking his final breath.
Mike had colon cancer which was diagnosed in April 2019. After surgery, and even chemotherapy, the doctors had given him 6 months. The chemo had taken a toll on his body and affected his lungs.
He was having a hard time breathing in November of that year, and he was down with sickness in January. The doctors understood that the potent chemotherapy had caused pulmonary fibrosis. However, the family believed that Mark was stronger than the disease, and he would get well soon.
But sadly, things had gone beyond all hope. On the 16th of January, the pregnant Diane was ready for her fifth child to come into the world. Just then, they learned that Mark had just about 5 or 6 days to live.
Mark had one dying wish – to see the baby before he passed away.
Diane accepted that her husband would not be there after about a week. So, she requested the schedule for the delivery on January 18th and was induced on that date. Once the baby girl came to this world, Mark witnessed her. He held her for around 45 minutes the first day. However, for the next few days, Mark was not capable of holding the baby for more than a minute. He was too tired. On 21st January, John slipped into a deep coma.
He had left the world in two days.
Diane returned home with the baby just the night before Mark fell into a coma. She and Savannah battled through that painful day, together.
Pulmonary fibrosis is a kind of lung disease where the lung tissues get very thick and eventually lead to scars or damage. The condition can affect breathing. Unfortunately, once pulmonary fibrosis sets in, it cannot be cured. You can manage the symptoms and better the quality of life, but only a transplant can help you at that point.
When it comes to cancer, chemotherapy is an accepted method, but it is not without its side effects. It affects many active cells that are growing and dividing, which means, it attacks both cancer cells and healthy cells as well. This results in muscle and stomach pain, nerve damage, and severe headaches. While the side effects can go away as soon as the prolonged chemotherapy is over, nerve damage can take years to get better.
Chemotherapy side effects are heavily dependent on the chemotherapy type and medication. Long-term effects can be there too. Chemotherapy is also known to cause irreversible damage to the liver, heart, kidneys, reproductive system, and lungs. Many people develop memory and concentration problems as well.
When Mark passed away, the Aulger family received a lot of gifts, from families, friends, and even strangers. After all, Diane became a single mother who had to take care of 5 of her children. A kind businessman in California offered a lot of money too after hearing her story. The money was enough to get them a minivan.
