This Mom Carried Her Baby to Term So She Could Donate Her Organs to Sick Children
After carrying her baby Rylei Arcadia for 18 weeks, Krysta Davis and her boyfriend Derek Lovett got news no parent wants to hear: their little girl had anencephaly — a deadly birth defect in which a baby is born without parts of the brain and skull — which has an average life expectancy that ranges from seconds to just a few days.
Although doctors gave Krysta the option to induce labor and deliver Rylei, Krysta opted to carry the baby to term and hope for the best when she learned that she could donate her child's organs to other children in need. "I may have not been able to take my baby home, but I could maybe use her life to give other mothers the chance to," she told The Daily Advertiser.
:upscale()/2019/01/18/714/n/24155406/4112e7cfdf1599b8_pic2.jpg)
Rylei was born on Christmas Eve, and even though Krysta and Derek knew they didn't have a lot of time with their child, they instantly fell in love.
"At 5:04 p.m., we welcomed this beautiful little girl into the world," Krysta wrote on Facebook. "Rylei Arcadia Diane Lovett came out 19 inches long weighing 6 pounds even. She has amazed me from the moment I saw her little face. I am so in love with my daughter and I am so grateful to all of the people who shared this day with her."
Despite the fact that Rylei had some breathing problems, she defied the odds and was even breastfeeding regularly. "I cannot help but to be amazed as I look at the little girl lying beside me," said Krysta. "She has shown me what true love is in such a short amount of time."
:upscale()/2019/01/18/714/n/24155406/5b1797690c985e99_pic.jpg)
After getting to spend one week with their little girl, Rylei passed away on Jan. 1.
"Miss Rylei decided that it was her time to go be a hero. She took her final breath at 5:52 p.m., just 48 minutes after turning a week old," wrote the grieving mom in a Facebook update. "For nine months, I carried this beautiful soul while her father, our friends, family, and myself filled her with love as she grew. I never would have imagined after she was diagnosed with anencephaly that she would bless us with a week of her presence. A week of smiles and sounds of protest and snuggles."
:upscale()/2019/01/18/714/n/24155406/b67b54799f4a840f_pic1.jpg)
While losing a child is obviously never easy, Krysta and Derek are relieved that Rylei's organs helped other kids in need. Her heart valves went to two other babies in need, and her lungs were donated to science so more research could be done on anencephaly.
She was our New Year's kiss," said Krysta. "I love her so much. It makes me so sad that she is gone, but I know she will live on . . . I'm one proud mommy of a little girl who has touched so many people's hearts. This little girl has known nothing but love her whole life. How beautiful is that?!"