PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A couple who say they carried out a “bucket list” of trips for their unborn son, who suffered from a fatal condition, say they feel blessed he could spend his brief life with people who loved him.
Shane Michael Haley died Thursday morning just a few hours after he was born, a spokeswoman at a suburban Philadelphia hospital said.
The boy’s father, Dan Haley, told the couple’s hundreds of thousands of Facebook followers that Shane had been baptized into the Catholic faith before dying peacefully in the arms of his mother, Jenna. Jenna was three months pregnant when she learned he had a fatal condition called anencephaly that leaves the brain unformed.
The couple said they decided to celebrate the pregnancy and take their unborn son to some of their favorite childhood places, reporting a few weeks ago that “most of his adventure book” was complete.
Babies born with anencephaly typically live only a few hours or days.
Their Facebook page documents their trips to Philadelphia Phillies and Flyers games, farms and museums, the Statue of Liberty and Empire State Building, Dan Haley’s club baseball games and to a “Shower of Love” thrown by friends in September.
“Shane spent his entire life in the arms of people that loved him unconditionally, and I don’t think you could ask for a more beautiful life than that,” Haley wrote on Facebook, sharing a half-dozen hospital photos. “He is home now with the Lord and will forever be our little miracle!”
More than 700,000 people have been following the couple’s story online, some of whom have shared their own stories of losing a baby.
“The support and prayers we have received from all of you have been amazing and we want to thank each of you,” Haley wrote.
Shane lived 3 hours and 45 minutes. He was born at 2:25 a.m. at Riddle Hospital in Media, and died at 6:10 a.m., a spokeswoman for the Main Line Health system said.
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