Mother was told her baby would die before birth but she got to hold her 'miracle baby' in her arms

A “miracle baby” defied all odds and was born three weeks earlier, even though the doctors told his parents he wouldn’t even survive to pass the 16 weeks on the womb. Sadly, he only had a few days with his family before passing away.

Leah Bucko and her husband Judah, from Skegness in the U.K, received devastating news on their 12 weeks scan when doctors revealed their baby wouldn’t be able to survive to pass the 16 weeks of the gestation period. They were offered to terminate the pregnancy before the baby kept growing, but Leah and Judah refused.

“We went to have our 12-week scan, and we were told that there was too much fluid around the baby. Doctors said he would only survive 16 weeks in the womb and I was offered a termination. But I said no as I wanted to give him the best chance of life,” she recounted to Lincolnshire Live.

To their surprise, the liquid was gone in the next two scans, but they found out their baby had a heart condition that would make his life difficult and a cyst on the brain that could later develop into Edward’s syndrome, a genetic condition that causes several development delays.

Doctors offered the termination once again, but Leah didn’t want the baby to die in the womb, so she decided to keep going with the pregnancy, hoping to meet her baby boy.

Against all the odds, little Reuben Josiah was born through C-section three weeks before his due date, weighing just 3.15lbs. He was immediately put into intensive care at the Leicester Royal Infirmary, as he fought for his life with a ventilator.

“On the fourth day after he was born, we found out that he had developed Edward's Syndrome, which means that he would have had a shorter life span,” said Leah.

Seven days later, the baby died surrounded by his family.

“When he took a turn for the worse we were given some quality time with him, and he went peacefully - that is all we could ask for,” said the grieving mother. And continued, “We had a miracle, he survived to meet his mummy and daddy despite what was said. Those precious moments holding him is something I will hold on to forever.”

A GoFundMe set up by family and friends of the couple helped them with the funeral’s cost, and Leah expressed her gratitude to the members of her community for their unconditional support and kind words.

As a member of the Storehouse Church, Leah wanted to give back to the community by creating a support group for other parents that, like her, a Judah, lost their kids too soon.

The couple also has a son, Elijah, who was able to meet his little brother before the baby passed away.

ANOTHER MIRACLE KID

Even though most children born with Edward syndrome have a short life span, there are a few exceptions to the rule, like Terre Krotzer's daughter, Kristina Rachel.

Even though the doctors didn't give any kind of hope for Terre and her husband Randy, the couple decided to give the girl a chance. "This is NOT a viable pregnancy. There is NOT going to be a baby to bring home from the hospital. The sooner you accept this, the better for you and your baby," Terre recalled her doctor saying to her.

Kristina was born through a C-section, and while the doctors were waiting for her to die at any minute, the baby girl left them speechless as the days passed and she was determined to live.

"She was tiny, just 3lbs 10 oz. And she was beautiful. She required no intervention at birth, just a little bit of extra oxygen. I remember the doctors not really being sure about what to do because they were expecting Krissy to die, and this tiny child was all about life and living,” Terre recounted.

Krissy, as her family calls her, is now 15, and she has filled her family, friends, and everyone in her life with unconditional love. "This little girl who can not do anything to care for herself is so filled with love that no matter how much she needs, she still gives far more than she takes. She is a beacon of light," said Terre.

"She has taught me to believe in possibilities. She has taught me what it truly means to give of yourself. She has taught me that we create the world we live in. We can choose to be happy in spite of unimaginable odds."