Baby Whose Mother Chose Giving Birth Over Chemo Has Died

UPDATE –A relative says the baby born of a Michigan woman who chose to forgo chemotherapy to give birth to the child has died.

Sonya Nelson says her niece, Life Lynn DeKlyen, died Wednesday evening at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. Life’s mother, Carrie DeKlyen, died Sept. 9, three days after giving birth to her sixth child.

Relatives say Life had been doing better than expected after being born prematurely at 1 pound 4 ounces (567 grams). Nelson tells The Associated Press the baby had good and bad days at the hospital, but “took a turn for the worse” this week.

Nelson says “we don’t have any answers,” but that “maybe Carrie needed her.”

Carrie DeKlyen declined the brain cancer treatment, because it would have meant ending her pregnancy.

DETROIT, M.I. — A Michigan woman who sacrificed the chance to prolong her life in order to give birth to her sixth child has died.

Nick DeKlyen tells The Associated Press that his wife, Carrie DeKlyen, died early Saturday surrounded by family.

He says among the last things he said to her were, “I’ll see you in Heaven.”

Doctors removed Carrie DeKlyen’s feeding and breathing tubes on Thursday, a day after she gave birth to her daughter Life Lynn DeKlyen. The mother chose to forgo chemotherapy to treat her brain cancer, since it would have meant ending her pregnancy.

Life Lynn was born prematurely and weighs 1 pound, four ounces (567 grams), but is doing well.

The couple from the western Michigan city of Wyoming have five other kids.