The woman who miraculously had a baby while in a coma is back home with her family after months in a California hospital.
Melissa Carleton had been hospitalised since March after suffering a seizure that left her in a coma. Her son, West, was delivered via Caesarean-section in May.
Carleton had a benign brain tumor that doctors decided to operate on to relieve pressure from her brain. After the surgery she had a seizure, and fell into a coma.
West was born a healthy five lbs., nine ounces, and is doing well at home. Now, he is joined by both of his parents.
"I'm thrilled that I don't have to have my family torn apart... 180 miles from one another, and that I don't have to keep making a choice between which person I care about, which person am I going to get to see," Carleton's husband, Brian Lande told KFSN.
"It's been a real challenge," Carleton's father, John Farrell, added. Carleton still has a long recovery ahead of her, but her family sees promise as she remains alert and can move her feet.
"The horrible and tragic nature of this... It's devastating," Farrell said. "Yet when you get to hold a baby like West, and play with him and kiss on him, watch him laugh and smile, it's really something else."
Over $120,000 was raised for the family on GoFundMe out of a $250,000 goal. The family asked for community members and strangers to go the extra mile for Carleton, as she has proven herself time and again to be a fighter.
"Melissa has worked so hard for this," they wrote on the fundraising page. "When called upon to give every ounce of effort she can muster, she has done so. When required to be patient - with caregivers, family, sickness - she has done so.
"She is the true hero in all of this. Her goodness and our knowledge that she would do nothing less for us has spurred us to be absolutely devoted to her.
"Whatever we have done pales in comparison to her devotion to life, and to love, and to her family, especially Brian and West, and to herself."
