[Sportschosun reporter Jung An-ji] The wife from the '60-day couple' said she wanted to have a second child after losing her 60-day-old baby.
The heartbreaking story of a couple who lost their baby to unexplained apnea was revealed on the May 17 episode of Munhwa Broadcasting Corporation (MBC)'s "Oh Eun Young's Report: Marriage Hell" (hereinafter "Marriage Hell").
The couple gave birth on April 15, but the baby suffered breathing difficulties from the moment he was born and stayed in the neonatal intensive care unit.
Even in despair, they refused to give up. Every time they visited the baby, they faithfully kept a growth album. The wife prayed, saying, "A miracle will happen," "He will wake up," and "He will recover completely." But on the 59th day after the baby was born, the couple received a call saying the baby was in critical condition.
In the end, they had to say goodbye to their 60-day-old son. It was only just before he passed away that they were able to hold him for the first time. The wife said through tears, "When I first held him, my arms hurt, but I couldn't put him down. I held him for 50 minutes."
Right after losing the baby, however, the wife brought up the topic of a second child. She said, "My period started. That means my body is signaling that I'm ready to have a child, doesn't it?" She added, "I hope it will be October. I gave birth in April, so I want to try again within six months." Her husband opposed the idea, citing her back condition, which makes even daily life difficult because of pain.
A year earlier, she had undergone a procedure after a ruptured disc. The husband said, "When she went for rehabilitation after giving birth, they told her not to sit, not to walk, and to lie down only. Even walking puts too much strain on her."
He wanted them to wait until she had recovered from the disc procedure before trying for a second child. But the wife, in tears, said, "Any mother would understand why I want another baby. I still remember the kicks." She went on to say, "I want a second child as soon as possible. No matter what happens to my body, even if it breaks down, I want to try now." She also admitted, "I feel sorry for the baby, but I kept saying, 'Please hold on for just one year. Will you wait until your little sibling comes?'"
The husband said, "Less than two weeks after giving birth to Ji-on, my wife first brought up having another baby." He added, "I was upset because she wasn't thinking about her own body. Given her current back condition, I don't think it's possible for her to hold and raise a child."
The wife said, "The doctors would never recommend it. But even if I have to take the risk, I want to have a second child quickly." The husband replied firmly, "Don't say you're willing to take the risk. I am absolutely against it." He then shared his honest feelings, saying, "If my wife's health improves, I also want to have a second child soon."
Part of the wife's desperate wish for a second child came from the deep emptiness she felt after losing her son. She said, "I feel so empty and hollow." She added through tears, "I kept thinking, 'What could fill this?' and I realized it might be Ji-on's little sibling."
After hearing this, Oh Cho-hee said, "The grief and emptiness that come from losing a child are not something to be filled, but something that must be healed." She continued, "Right now, they need to grieve fully, share that sorrow with each other, and comfort one another as loved ones. It may not be enjoyable, but their hearts need to recover through that process." She explained, "A second child should be loved as a whole person, for who that child is. Of course, that may not be the intention, but trying to fill the emptiness and grief left by the loss of the first child with a second child is not appropriate." She added, "Please give yourself time to recover, both physically and emotionally."
anjee85@sportschosun.com
This article has been translated by GripLabs Mingo AI.
