On what was supposed to be the most joyous day of his life, a Colorado man was faced with an impossible decision.
Frederick Connie‘s nightmare began on Nov. 30 when his wife, Keyvonne, went into early labor and began hemorrhaging inside their home in the Denver suburb of Littleton, FOX 31 Denver reported. Mrs. Connie wasn’t due to give birth until mid-January.
Frederick Connie (left) said he’s committed to being a full-time father to his baby girl after the sudden loss of his wife, Keyvonne. (Images courtesy of FOX 31 Denver)
Frightened by the bloody scene, Frederick Connie rushed his wife to the nearest hospital, where doctors left him with a difficult choice.
“It was either give her the surgery first and maybe save her life, but you’re going to lose your daughter. Or your daughter can be saved but there’s a chance you might lose your wife,” he recalled.
Frederick Connie said he chose the procedure to save the baby because he felt that’s what his wife would’ve wanted. On the same day he welcomed his baby daughter, he ended up losing the love of his life. The widower is now left picking up the pieces of his tragic loss but says he’s satisfied with his decision.
“I am glad I made that decision, because in the end if Keyvonne probably could have survived, she would have hated me for the rest of my life because I know how she felt about kids,” he told the news station.
Connie’s wife survived the emergency C-section and was in recovery long enough to see photos of their new daughter, Angelique Keyvonne Connie, whom they nicknamed “Pooder.” But within minutes the new mother’s health drastically declined.
“Literally all of her insides just went all over the bed and the floor,” Frederick Connie said. “They tried [to save her] and her heart couldn’t take it. She died before they could even get her to the surgery.”
Citing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data, a 2017 CNN report noted that 700 to 1,200 women die from pregnancy or childbirth complications every year in the United States. For Black women, the risk is much higher, making them three to four times more likely to die of pregnancy and/or delivery complications than their white peers.
After his wife’s death, the new dad said the hospital gave him a room in the labor and delivery ward, noting that all the mothers there “said it was OK.” His baby daughter, Pooder, is now facing health issues of her own and is expected to remain in the hospital for a few weeks, FOX 31 Denver reported.
The youngster is now getting all the care she needs, thanks to nurses who’ve gifted her with with clothes. She’s also being fed with donated breast milk.
Frederick Connie said he’s dedicated to being a full-time father to his baby girl, even if that means selling all his possessions and sleeping in his car to provide for her. The doting dad said he’s in financial straits now with the sudden loss of his wife.
“I’m financially not OK,” he said. “This debt is like piling up and I have to bury my wife, my daughter coming into the world, it’s so high right now.”
Connie’s boss, Justin Collins, doesn’t want to see things get any worse, so he launched a Facebook fundraiser for his colleague to help him through this difficult time. So far the page has collected nearly $23,000 in donations.
Watch more in the video below.
