Sounds traumatic, right? Well, it truly was for Utah couple Chase and Emily Morgan, who welcomed their son 12 weeks early while on a seven-day Royal Caribbean cruise.
Emily’s labour came on during the second night of what was supposed to be a relaxing ‘babymoon’, and with her due date set at December 19, you can imagine how frightened she must have been.
While she initially thought it was false labour, when Emily and her husband saw blood, they knew that it was time to contact the on-board medical team.
Recalling the traumatic ordeal, Emily told local news: “At 1:20am the doctor came over, looked at me and said, ‘Keep your legs closed, don’t push because we are not porting for another 14 hours.’ And I said, ‘I am pushing because this baby is coming, I know!’”
The couple’s son, Haiden, arrived into the world just thirty minutes later, but they were told that Emily had miscarried and the tiny newborn had had passed away. Traumatised, Emily and Chase were also turned down when they asked to see their child.
However, about 45 minutes after Haiden’s birth, Emily received some miraculous news – her son was alive, but they didn’t expect him to live for very long.
According to reports, the Morgans wrapped Haiden in towels and nestled him between heated saline packets to keep him warm. The ship’s captain then sped towards the nearest port, in Puerto Rico, just as Haiden showed signs of a loss of circulation.
After initial treatment in Puerto Rico, the family were flown via jet to Miami, where they will stay with their precious newborn until he is strong enough to be moved.
What an incredible story. Our thoughts and love are with the family, and we are praying that Haiden will continue to thrive.
