Mom Gives Birth By C-Section So Terminally-Ill Dad Can Meet Son

When Haley Parke gave birth to her newborn son earlier this month, it was a “bittersweet ”moment. As she welcomed a new child into the world, she said goodbye to her husband of three years.

Jb Parke, 33, had been admitted to Connecticut’s Hartford Hospital in late November due to complications related to his battle with cancer. The couple learned that doctor’s believed he only had a matter of days to live instead of the six months he was given initially.

Haley, only three weeks away from giving birth, and Jb decided to ask doctors for her to be induced so Jb could meet his son. They offered her induction right away, and she was ready.

“I kissed my sweet husband goodbye and told him to be strong and hold on for me and the baby – he said he would. We began the induction process Wednesday night with hopes of a quick labor and a vaginal birth,” she wrote in a Facebook post. “Those plans changed in an instant when a team of ICU doctors entered my room Thursday morning at 8am with the news that Jb was declining fast and had a matter of a few hours. It was either a c-section right at that moment, or Jb would not have the opportunity to meet our son.”

Twenty minutes later, their son was born at seven pounds, four ounces, and whisked away to ICU, where he was placed on his father’s chest. After the baby boy was placed on Jb, his vitals improved, and he made small head movements.

Once Haley was stitched up, she was brought up to join her baby and her husband in the ICU. “I spent my recovery time gazing at my husband. I was gazing at him in sadness, but in awe of his strength,” she wrote. Jb took his final breaths with his newborn son on his chest and holding hands with his wife.

Haley and Jb had not picked out names, and Haley felt it was only fitting to honor her husband by naming the baby John Beeson Parke (Jb). Despite being born three weeks early, baby Jb was born perfectly healthy. “Your story is truly a miracle,” she said of her son’s birth. 

A GoFundMe was created to help Haley out with her 18-month-old son Brinton and newborn Jb. The fundraiser has exceeded its $100,000 goal, raising more than $127,000.