A US mother had her labour induced early so her terminally ill husband could see their baby daughter before he died.
Mark Aulger, 52 was diagnosed with colon cancer in April last year, which later led to pulmonary fibrosis. On January 16, the couple learned the condition was fatal.
When Diane Aulger, 31 asked how long her husband had, the response was five or six days.
"It was like his lungs were soaked in concrete," Mrs Aulger told ABC News.
"They couldn’t inhale or pass oxygen through to his blood or to the rest of the body."
Their daughter wasn't due for another two weeks, so they decided to have the labour induced.
Mark Aulger held his daughter Savannah for about 45 minutes after her birth.
"He cried and he just looked very sad," Mrs Aulger said.
Soon after Mr Aulger fell into a coma, and Mrs Aulger was forced to explain to her children why he was "sleeping". When she told them the news her son asked her if her dad would survive.
"I said no and he screamed and my eight-year-old screamed and cried and said 'I'm not going to have a daddy'," Mrs Aulger said.
Her husband died five days later at age 52 with his daughter Savannah in his lifeless arms.
"I put her in his arms and held his hand until he died," Mrs Aulger said.
Friends, family, neighbours and a company that the family was working with before Mr Aulger's illness have been touched by the story and have volunteered to replace the couple’s roof.
Mr Aulger had planned to reconstruct the roof before he died.
"He had dreams and aspirations to get his home in that condition and we want to help bring that through even though he's not here," a volunteer said.
ninemsn
So sad but at least he got to see his child
so sad how life works sometimes.