Baby Completes Bucket List Inside Womb; Is Born, Baptized and Dies Hours After Birth
A couple welcomed their firstborn son earlier today, then said goodbye hours later, but not before ensuring he had completed a bucket list put together while still in his mother's womb.
Jenna and Dan Haley welcomed son Shane early Thursday, Oct. 9, and he passed away hours later. At only 13-weeks into her pregnancy, Jenna learned that her baby boy had a condition known as anencephaly, in which babies are born without parts of their brain and skull. Determined not to miss any opportunity to relish the pregnancy and the 40 weeks they would have with their son, Jenna and Dan made a bucket list to complete by the time he arrived.
"When we found out that Jenna was expecting, we would often talk about all of the places that we wanted to go as a family after Shane was born," Dan told "Good Morning America." "After his diagnosis and understanding that almost 100 percent of babies with anencephaly die shortly after birth, we decided to start visiting the places we had wanted to go with him while he was living in his mother's womb."
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The couple began traveling and enjoying various treats such as Philly cheesesteaks, baseball games, visiting the Statue of Liberty, and the likes, documenting their experiences on Facebook.
"He's still our little boy and even though he's been given such a short life expectancy because of anencephaly, we wanted to make sure that we gave him a lifetime worth of adventures and love while he's with us," Dan added. "One thing we would want people to take away is that each human life is so valuable and that it's so important to live each day to its fullest potential. We honestly just can't wait to hold Shane in our arms and show him how much we love him. It's all in God's hands we will accept His will, but we just can't wait to finally hold and hug our little man!"
This morning, the family completed its journey, with a post announcing Shane's birth and death in the span of a few hours.
"Today at 6:15AM, after meeting his entire family and being baptized into the Catholic faith, baby Shane died peacefully in his Mother's arms … we are so grateful for the time that we were blessed to hold and hug our son … 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 then that … he is home now with the Lord and will forever be our little miracle!"
