Mum carries baby with fatal brain disorder to full term so she can donate organs

When Krysta Davis was four months pregnant with her daughter, Rylei, she received the heartbreaking news that her baby was carrying a fatal illness and would not survive.

Little Rylei had Anencephaly, meaning her brain was underdeveloped to a fatal degree. Doctors then gave Krysta and her husband Derek the option to give birth to Rylei or carry her to term, which would mean her tiny organs could be given to babies who needed them.

Krysta decided then to carry Rylei to term. “If I wasn't able to bring my baby home, at least others could bring theirs home”, she told News Channel 9.

So Krysta waited another five months, giving birth to baby Rylei at full term. Doctors told her that Rylei might only survive for 30 minutes after being born, but she held on for a week.

“There's no way to describe how amazing it felt. When you go to thinking you'll only have 30 minutes with your child and you get an entire week,” Krysta said.

For that whole week, the family snuggled up together until it was time for Rylei to go.

“Miss Rylei decided that it was her time to go be a hero. She took her final breath at 5:52pm, just 48 minutes after turning a week old,” Krysta shared on Facebook.

Rylei was then taken for surgery, where her organs were retrieved for donation.

“They said her heart valves will go toward saving two other babies and the lungs will be sent off for research to see what else can be learned about Anencephaly from them,” Krysta shared.

“Thank you to all who have been following our story and rooting for my baby,” she added.