This Woman Had No Idea That Tragedy Struck Her Family as She Delivered Her Baby

While new motherhood is filled with a range of emotions — from exhaustion to joy — Crystal Matrau-Belt is experiencing an unexpected one — sheer devastation.

Crystal's fiancé, Emil Skokan, and her mother, Peggy Nichols, were at home making last-minute preparations for their baby and grandchild, respectively, when Crystal called from the hospital. Her doctor wanted to do a C-section because of her high blood pressure and so the baby was coming earlier than expected. Emil promised that he would be on his way and told her that he loved her — but neither realized that this would be their last conversation.

Emil and Peggy rushed to the hospital, but Emil lost control of the car along the way and hit a tree. According to officials, speed was a factor in the accident. Crystal was not made aware of the situation until after she delivered their son, Jeremiah.

Crystal says she knew that something was wrong just from the look on her dad's, stepdad's, and stepmom's faces as they walked in, but she had no idea how bad the situation really was. "It's a hard balance — being so happy and excited to be a mother and holding him, and grieving that his dad's not here, his grandma's not here, just having to battle back and forth grieving for the both of them and trying to be happy and excited for him," Crystal said.

As she soaks in the new addition to her life, Crystal can't help but think about how excited her mother was to have this new grandchild and how much Jeremiah looks like his dad. "I know that once I leave the hospital, that's when things will start to become real, and having to deal with everyday life is when it's really going to hit me," she added. "What keeps me going is him."