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'Who survives? Mother or baby?' Heartbroken man reveals the horrifying choice he HAD TO MAKE

Michael McConnell said: "The doctor that would deliver took me to one side and asked, 'if push comes to shove, who survives? Mother or baby?"

FALKIRK, SCOTLAND: Michael Gerry Fotheringham McConnell (33) recalled the heartbreaking moment when he had to decide between the life of his partner and his child. His fiancée, Stephanie Brown, experienced difficulties when at 18 weeks pregnant, she started started leaking amniotic fluid, a yellow liquid that surrounds the fetus, and she had to undergo further tests.

The mother of five started leaking amniotic fluid even before the umbilical cord of their unborn baby collapsed. McConnell said, "The doctor that would deliver took me to one side and asked, 'if push comes to shove, who survives? Mother or baby?'" The couple later welcomed their son Mickey Robert Gerry Fotheringham McConnell, who weighed only a pound and three ounces, three months early, in November, 2021, after a risky, premature delivery.

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Mickey spent the next eight months in the hospital, but he tragically passed away on July 24, 2022, as a result of methemoglobinemia, a disorder in which the lungs are unable to provide enough oxygen to a person's cells. Mickey's organs were unable to develop normally as a result. Describing Mickey as a 'wee warrior', McConnell said, "He's the brightest star I've ever known." He went on to say, while recounting the traumatic delivery, "The room was full of midwives and doctors, who revealed the umbilical cord had collapsed, creating a dangerous situation. I was terrified when I saw all these people and the looks on their faces told me the severity of Stephanie's condition. When I learned my fiancée's life was in danger, my heart froze – all I cared about at that moment was her being OK."

However, despite the dangers, the parents chose to take a risk by bringing their kid into the world so prematurely. "Everyone was skeptical about his survival. I've been by [Stephanie's] side through the worst and scariest times in my life. With her losing fluid, having to hold Mickey in her body for six weeks – it was exhausting, physically and mentally. There was a good chance that the placenta had stuck on Steph's stomach and bladder, a C-section was their answer to prevent this being a danger,” McConnel remarked. 

Despite being born so early, according to Daily Mail, McConnell said Mickey did get better, and the family was about to bring him home when he suddenly became unwell. The family has now set up a GoFundMe to help give Mickey the send-off he deserves and the campaign has received nearly £3,755 from 122 donations.