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Baby whose mother chose giving birth over chemo has died

Baby, mom die after choosing birth over chemo
Baby, mom die after choosing birth over chemo
Posted at 12:51 PM, Sep 21, 2017
and last updated 2017-09-21 12:51:53-04

A relative says the baby born of a Michigan woman who chose to forgo chemotherapy to give birth to the child has died.

Sonya Nelson says her niece, Life Lynn DeKlyen, died Wednesday evening at University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. Life’s mother, Carrie DeKlyen, died Sept. 9, three days after giving birth to her sixth child.

Relatives say Life had been doing better than expected after being born prematurely at 24 weeks and five days into the pregnancy and weighing 1 pound, four ounces (567 grams). Nelson tells The Associated Press the baby had good and bad days at the hospital, but “took a turn for the worse” this week.

Nelson says “we don’t have any answers,” but that “maybe Carrie needed her.”

Carrie DeKlyen declined the brain cancer treatment, because it would have meant ending her pregnancy.