Mom Induces Labor Two Weeks Early So the Father Can Hold His Newborn Daughter before Dying

In the last chapter of her love story with a good man, a woman chose to induce labor two weeks early so that her husband, the father of her child, could meet and hold his daughter before passing.

Mark Aulger did not have much time to live. He knew that, and so did his wife, Diane Aulger, which is why they both decided that they could not wait for the delivery that was scheduled to happen two weeks later.

The proud father only had a few days to live, and he desperately wanted to meet his child, so Diane decided to induce labor and have their child.

On January 18, Mark met and held his daughter, named Savannah. When the baby was placed in his arms, the proud father could not stop tears from rolling down his face.

His child had just arrived, but he was on his way out, so he "looked very sad," according to Diane. Mark passed away five days later from lung complications brought about by his cancer treatment.

The father was diagnosed with colon cancer in April, and to combat the disease, he underwent surgery and six months of chemotherapy as a precaution.

The follow-up tests showed no signs of cancer, so it was believed that the treatment was successful, but life had other plans. In November, Mark started having trouble breathing, and by January 3, he had to go to the emergency room.

According to Diane, he did not technically lose the battle against cancer, but the chemotherapy he'd been treated with had taken its toll.

It led to pulmonary fibrosis, which resulted in scarring and thickening within the lungs. Despite that, the Aulgers nursed hope. Diane Aulger, who lived in The Colony, about 25 miles north of Dallas at the time, said:

"He thought he'd be coming home in a few days with an oxygen tank"

Their hopes were dashed on January 16 when the doctor revealed Mark's predicament: Mark would not make it, and he had only five or six days left to live.

The baby was supposed to arrive on January 29, but Mark said he would like to see the child. So when the doctor suggested that they expedite the delivery timeline, Diane was all for it — after all, she already had some pre-labor symptoms.

They scheduled the birth for January 18, and hospital staff helped them create privacy by arranging that they share a large space where the family could be with him.

Mark held his daughter for close to an hour when the baby was born. In the days that followed, the fading man was so tired; he could only hold her for a minute or so and only a couple of times. On January 21, he slipped into a coma even though he still seemed aware. His wife said:

"If she cried, he would shake his head and moan. I put her on him when he was in the coma a few times and his hand would move toward her."

Two days later, he died surrounded by his family. Along with Savannah, Diane shares two other children, ages 10 and 7, with the late Mark. She also has two other teenagers. Mark died in 2012, but the family has kept memories of him alive by talking about him.