Mark Aulger was a dying father who had just days to live when his expectant wife, Diane Aulger, decided that the couple could wait no longer to have their baby. Mark wanted to see his child before he passed away so Diane and the doctors decided to grant him his wish.
Diane’s labor was induced and she gave birth to a girl, Savannah, on January 18. Savannah was placed in her father’s arms, prompting Mark to cry. He passed away just five days after meeting Savannah due to complications from a cancer treatment.
Mark, from Texas, had been diagnosed with colon cancer back in April. He started receiving chemotherapy treatments following surgery. After all of the tests, there were no signs of cancer, until November. Mark began having breathing problems that sent him to the emergency room on January 3. Mark and Diane were told that he developed pulmonary fibrosis as a result of the chemotherapy treatments.
“He thought he’d be coming home in a few days with an oxygen tank,” said Diane.
Mark and Diane were told that Mark’s condition was fatal by doctors on January 16. Doctors told Diane that Mark had only five or six days left to live.
“Mark said, `I’d like to see the baby,'” Diane said.
Diane was planning a natural childbirth for Savannah, who was not due until January 29. Her doctor suggested that she have her labor induced, prompting Diane to agree right away because she had already been experiencing pre-labor symptoms. The staff at the hospital made sure Diane and Mark could be in the same room.
“Our beds were side by side,” Diane Aulger said.
Following the birth of Savannah, Mark was able to hold her for around 45 minutes. The next couple of days were not as kind to Mark, as he was too tired to hold his daughter for only a couple of times for less than five minutes each time. On January 21, Mark fell into a coma and then passed away only two days later.
“I brought her home the night before he fell into the coma. It was just me and Savannah when he passed away,” Diane said.
Diane and Mark have two other children and Diane has two other children from a previous relationship. Diane is planning to cover her home with pictures of Mark and went onto say that her children are already keeping his memory alive.
“We’re living day-to-day as if dad’s still here,” she said. “We know dad is here with us. They talk to dad. Mark was a very funny, funny dad.”
