[Sportschosun, Reporter Jeong An-ji] A couple who had been married for 60 days said goodbye to their baby in tears.
The episode of MBC's "Oh Eun-young's Report: Marriage Hell" that aired on the 17th revealed the story of a couple who lost their baby to unexplained apnea.
That day, the husband said, "There was no movement at all when I first saw him. He didn't even cry," adding, "He was in respiratory distress for reasons we couldn't explain. He couldn't be taken off the ventilator. His brain had already been damaged." He explained, "Because of the brain damage, not only his breathing but also his organs were no longer functioning properly," and said, "He ended up staying in the neonatal intensive care unit." The baby's condition worsened day by day.
The wife said through tears, "When we were told on the seventh day after birth that there was no hope and that we should prepare ourselves, I wanted to die," adding, "It felt like everything was my fault." She continued, "I thought, 'No matter what happens to my body, even if I lose my life, I want Jion to wake up.' I really thought I wouldn't be able to bear it if Jion passed away." The husband also spent time blaming himself, repeatedly asking, "Why Jion?" and "Why us?"
Even in despair, the couple refused to give up. Every time they went to see their baby, they faithfully kept a growth album. Although only one parent could visit for 30 minutes a day, they took turns seeing the child. They fed the baby breast milk through a syringe, but around day 15, he could no longer digest it. The wife said, "They asked me to at least put breast milk on his lips, so I have been applying it to his lips."
The couple prayed for the baby to wake up. The wife said, "I can't remember how I survived those 50 days," and admitted, "I was shaken by other people's stares." She added, "I kept wearing a mask because I was afraid people would think, 'The baby is sick, but she's smiling?'"
The wife even considered divorcing her husband. She told him, "Jion looks so much like you," and cried, saying, "Every time I look at you, I think of Jion."
She continued to pray, saying, 'A miracle will happen,' 'He will wake up,' and 'He will recover completely.' But on the 59th day after the baby's birth, the couple received a call saying the baby was in critical condition.
In the end, the couple said goodbye to their baby on day 60 after birth. It was the first time they were able to hold him, just before he passed away. The wife said, "When I first held him, my arms hurt, but I couldn't put him down. I held him for 50 minutes."
They then took their first and last family photo together. The husband said, "That was the first day the three of us were in the same place," deepening the sadness.
The wife said, "I am proud that Jion held on for 60 days," and the husband added, "I am grateful and proud. I think he endured it because of the two of us. He was the baby who taught us what love is, so I want to send him off with a smile," expressing their love for Jion as they let their son go.
anjee85@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
