The birth of a newborn should be a cause for celebration but for a family in Connecticut; it's a time for mourning as well after a mom had to go through a C-section so that her dying husband could see and touch their son for the first and last time.
JB Parke, who has been battling cancer, was able to hold his son, who was only a few hours old, close to his chest before he breathed his last breath. In a touching post on Facebook, Haley Parke shared that they had to induce the birth specifically for this moment.
She revealed that her husband was admitted to the hospital on November 28 for cancer complications, and the doctors informed her that JB had days to live. However, Haley was due to give birth three weeks away. They decided that having a C-section was the right decision so JB could still see his son before he crossed over the afterlife. This was his dying wish.
A Risk and A Hope
After consulting with the doctors, the team at the ICU prepared for the high-risk delivery. They then induced Haley as soon as she was ready. On the morning of December 2, while Haley was in labor, JB's condition started to decline. Haley's doctors then worked quickly to deliver their baby via C-section.
"In a matter of literally one minute, I was in the OR, and in just a short 20 minutes later, our son was born," Haley detailed. She said that their son was carefully handed to her for a quick kiss, and then he was given to another team of doctors to take him up two floors to JB's hospital room. Haley was wheeled to the room a few minutes later.
As soon as the baby was on JB's chest, the doctors saw an instant improvement in his vitals, which meant that he could acknowledge his son. However, because of the gravity of cancer's impact on JB, he passed on with his son on his chest and his wife's hand on his.
Haley recalled that there were no dry eyes at that ICU as they witnessed the joys of a newborn's birth and the sadness of a loss. The mother said that she trusts God, that this was "part of His plan," and that she was glad to fulfill her husband's dying wish to see his baby. Haley named their baby John Beeson 'JB' Parke to honor her husband.
An Act of Love
The medical team hailed Haley for her selfless act because she agreed to have the baby induced and undergo a C-section despite the risks. However, Haley said that it was an act of love, and now she has an angel watching over her and her son.
Moved by her touching story, the Parke's extended family set up a GoFundMe page for Haley and little JB, as well as the baby's older brother, Brighton, 18 months old. The fundraiser has received nearly $70,000 in donation as of press time.
Related Article: Mom Gives Birth to a Healthy 14-Pound Baby Boy After 19 Miscarriages
