A Texas father who lost his fiancée in a car crash has finally been able to bring his newborn daughter home from hospital, following a frustrating legal battle.
James Gardner’s trauma began earlier this month, when his partner, Heather Trimble, was involved in a horrific car accident. She was eight months pregnant with their child at the time.
The accident claimed the lives of Heather’s parents, and she was rushed to hospital with critical injuries. Doctors managed to safely deliver her baby, a girl, but Heather tragically passed away eight days later. James was at her side the entire time.
When Heather passed away, James was notified of some legal issues that he was certainly not expecting. According to Fox11, Heather was still legally married to a man she had separated from three years earlier, which presented obstacles in relation to his paternity.
A lawyer explained the situation to Fox: “Because Heather was married to [her ex] at the time of the birth of the child, the actual father – legally speaking – is a presumed father.”
James was told that he would have to file legal papers in order to prove his paternity. Thankfully, Heather’s ex has fully cooperated and handed over power of attorney to him, so that he can take a DNA test.
James, who was being referred to as the ‘alleged father’, had to hire a lawyer before he could do anything – even before he could give his daughter the name that Heather had chosen: Hadley.
He told Fox: “I just lost my future mother-in-law and father-in-law and the woman I loved and was going to marry and spend my life with. I just lost them all, and I can’t even grieve.
“On the birth certificate, her name is November BG for baby girl. And there is no father or mother.
“Heather has passed away. What do you want me to do? She can’t sign your documents now. It’s just mind-blogging to think anyone would have to deal with this on top of the crash.”
Heather was also mother to a four-year-old daughter named Matilda, who is being looked after by her father.
In the latest update to the story, James has reportedly been allowed to bring little Hadley home. An emergency hearing scheduled for Friday is set to resolve the parentage issue, empowering him to change his daughter’s name officially.
We can’t imagine what this poor father is going through right now. We hope that everything works out for him, so that he can go home in peace and begin his life with his daughter. You can check out their GoFundMe page through this link.
