Michigan woman who chose baby instead of chemotherapy has died

9/9/2017

This October 2013 family photo shows Carrie DeKlyen and husband Nick DeKlyen in Grand Rapids, Mich. Carrie DeKlyen sacrificed the chance to prolong her life to give birth to her sixth child.

ASSOCIATED PRESS

DETROIT — 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.