Double tragedy for family as newborn baby dies days after mum lost cancer battle
The baby of a US mother who died after declining cancer treatment in a bid to save her unborn child, has also died.
Carrie DeKlyen, 37, made headlines around the world when news spread of her aggressive brain tumor that she discovered when she was pregnant with her sixth child, Life Lynn.
Life was born on September 7, but two days later Mrs DeKlyen's life support was turned off. Now, less than two weeks later, the family has announced Life has also lost her fight.
"It is with great sadness and an absolutely broken heart that I tell you Life Lynn passed away last night," her father Nick said on the 'Cure 4 Carrie' Facebook page .
"Carrie is now rocking her baby girl. I have no explanation of why this happened... the grief we feel is almost unbearable, please be praying for our family."
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Life weighed just 1 pound, 4 ounces at birth and was in the neonatal intensive care unit at hospital.
The doctors hoped to get Carrie to 27 weeks pregnant before having Life, but the stress of the pregnancy was too much on the mother.
Mrs DeKlyen declined to participate in a clinical trial or undergo chemotherapy, options that probably would have extended her life but also would have meant terminating her pregnancy.
Sonya Nelson, Ms DeKlyen’s sister-in-law, told USA Today that the baby had been fighting for survival.
“She had a rough day yesterday,” she said.
“She was kind of up and down all day ... They weren’t able to get her blood gas levels where they needed to be.”
Nick DeKlyen announced on Facebook this morning that Life Lynn will be buried with her mother.
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