She Saved Her Husband's Life With CPR Days Before Giving Birth To Their Son

She told her husband, who was in a coma, she'd wait to have their baby until he woke up.

Every birth story is unique and a miracle in and of itself, but the birth of Andrew and Ashley Goette's son Lennon, is a particularly amazing one. 

According to the family's GoFundMe page, they "experienced much heartache getting and staying pregnant." They describe their first miracle as finding out they were expecting a baby boy. 


On October 16, Ashley was 39 weeks pregnant, and scheduled to be induced the very next day, when she woke up to find her husband in distress and not breathing.

She immediately called 911 and began CPR on her husband, who was in full cardiac arrest without oxygen for a significant amount of time. Doctors told the family he may never wake up as his MRI and CT scans showed he'd endured a "catastrophic brain injury."

"Family, friends, and strangers began an overwhelming outpouring of prayer and positive thought, wrapping Andrew in a blanket of protective energy," wrote the family on GoFundMe.

Ashley remained by her husband's side at the hospital and told him she would wait to have their baby until he woke up.

"I didn't want to have to think for one second about having to do any of this without him," Ashley  told ABC News. "I kept telling him the whole time he was asleep, or in his coma, that I was not going to have this baby until he woke up."

United Hospital Pulmonary and Critical Care physician Dr. Alex Teeters said in a press conference that they initially lowered Andrew's body temperature for 24 hours in hopes that it would help his brain heal.

Andrew woke up on October 17 after his body temperature was raised and he was taken off sedatives. He was able to perform basic tasks, including wiggling his toes and giving a thumbs up. Thankfully, he showed very little cognitive damage. 

The following day, on October 18, Ashley was induced.

Andrew wasn't able to make it to the maternity ward a floor below as he required 24-hour one-on-one monitoring, but was able to watch the birth via FaceTime.  His heart operation was also moved to Monday so he, his wife and their newborn son could bond together.

Baby Lennon Andrew Goette was born on October 19.

He might not have been in the delivery room, but Andrew was still thrilled by the birth. "I was just so excited to be able to see him be born," the new dad told CBS News. "To be able to hold him right away, first actually."

The parents had some precious bonding time before Andrew underwent a successful operation to resolve a heart arrhythmia, an irregular heartbeat which can put people at risk for certain conditions like strokes. According to ABC, doctors later found he had Wolff-Parkinson White syndrome, which causes a rapid heartbeat. Doctors "corrected the condition and Andrew's prognosis is 'fantastic.' "

The family launched a GoFundMe page to help cover the cost of their care because Andrew's insurance will not pay for all of it. The campaign is currently trending and it has raised over $9,000 of its $25,000 goal in three days.

They also used the page to thank their family, friends and all the hospital staff for their support during this time.

(H/T: Scary Mommy)

Cover image via  KieferPix / Shutterstock 

