Arizona mom Erica Morales died on Thursday, just a few hours after giving birth to her "miracle" quadruplets. Morales, 36, and her husband had been trying to conceive for years before seeking the help of a doctor and finally getting pregnant. Tragically, Erica never got to hold her babies.
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On Tuesday, at 31 weeks pregnant Morales was admitted to the hospital due to high blood pressure and was told that she would remain there until the babies were born, she explained to family and friends on Facebook. Doctors were going to try to keep the babies in until she reached 34 weeks, but had begun steroid injections to mature their lungs. The babies were delivered just two days later.
Morales had been told that she was a "poster child for quads," making the loss an even greater shock to those who knew her. Her husband, Carlos Morales, is left to raise three girls and one boys on his own. The family has not revealed the exact cause of death, but all four babies are healthy.
"My best friend and her husband Carlos have tried for the last few years to have a baby and with their Dr.'s help they were blessed with not 1 but 4 beautiful children, but with that blessing came the most unimaginable tragedy my best friend was lost," Erica's friend Nicole Todman shared on the GoFundMe account created for the family, which has so far raised over $50,000 to help Carlos provide for the babies.
I cannot even fathom the grief these people are suffering right now, but I'm so encouraged to see that a community has rallied around the babies and their father. I wish them all health, love and continued support. Though these children will grow up without their mama, I'm sure they will one day know how much she loved them even before they were born, and know that she made the ultimate sacrifice for them.
Image via Facebook
