A woman whose husband tragically died of cancer at the age of 27 is fulfilling her dream of starting a family after using his frozen sperm to conceive a child – nearly two years after his death.
Mariah Smith, 26, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, said becoming a parent was always a top priority for her and her husband Chris Smith — but sadly, they never got the chance to embark on this journey together.
Chris was diagnosed with sinus cancer when he was just 24, which eventually spread to his brain and spinal cord.
After a long and arduous three-year battle with the disease, he passed away in February 2021, but Mariah’s hopes of becoming a mother didn’t die with him.
A woman whose husband froze his sperm before tragically dying of cancer at the age of 27 so she could pursue her dream of starting a family is now pregnant with his child
Mariah Smith, 26, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, said becoming a parent has always been a top priority for her and her husband Chris Smith (who was seen in the hospital before his death).
Chris was diagnosed with sinus cancer when he was just 24, which eventually spread to his brain and spinal cord. He is seen in the hospital
After a long and arduous three-year battle with the disease, he passed away in February 2021, but Mariah’s hopes of becoming a mother didn’t die with him. They are pictured in 2017
He made sure his sperm was frozen so she could one day have their child together and now, as the two year anniversary of his death approaches, Mariah has announced that she is expecting a baby girl.
He made sure his sperm was frozen so she could one day have their child together and now, as the two year anniversary of his death approaches, Mariah has announced that she is expecting a baby girl
“Before he died I promised him that we would make our dream of having children come true. This spring, just over two years after Chris’ death, our daughter will be born,” she wrote in a recent essay for Insider.
Mariah explained that when Chris was diagnosed in 2018, he “refused to start treatment until he had collected sperm” just in case “chemotherapy left him infertile.”
“We wanted to know that we could have the family we dreamed of. It was a must for us to share a family,” she continued.
While the couple remained optimistic and “believed he would survive,” Mariah explained that Chris made it clear to her that he wanted her to use his sperm even if he couldn’t make it.
Unfortunately, things took a turn for the worst shortly after their wedding in late 2020, and when he died in early 2021, knowing that one day she might give birth to his child helped her overcome the pain of losing her husband.
Mariah (seen in 2020) recently told Insider that when Chris was diagnosed in 2018, he “refused to start treatment until he had sperm collected.”
While the couple remained optimistic and “believed he would survive,” Mariah said, Chris (seen in 2020) made it clear to her that he wanted her to use his sperm even if he didn’t make it
When Chris passed away in early 2021, knowing that one day she might give birth to his child helped her overcome the pain of losing her husband
Mariah revealed they discussed their “future children” in Chris’ “final moments” and that she vowed to “tell them all about him” so they would “know how special he was and how hard she fought.”
“Becoming a widow at 24 was as horrible as it sounds. But I had something to hold on to: a promise to have Chris’ child,” she said.
“It kept me going, taking care of myself and working towards the future. It breathed life into my heart and soul.
“I knew I still had that piece of his. I had the opportunity to start a family of my own, even if it turned out to be very different from what I expected. I could keep him alive this way for our family and friends.’
Getting pregnant wasn’t easy – Mariah went through one round of IUI, three rounds of IVF and suffered a miscarriage.
Mariah revealed they discussed their “future children” in Chris’ “final moments” and that she vowed to “tell them all about him” so they “know how special he is.”
“Becoming a widow at 24 was as horrible as it sounds. But I had something to hold on to: a promise to have Chris’ child,” she said
She concluded: “I’ve been through a lot and I still have a big challenge ahead of me: doing my best to make sure my kids know Chris without ever being able to know him.”
Now she’s preparing for the birth of her and Chris’ daughter but admitted there will be mixed feelings when she comes into the world.
“I spent my entire pregnancy preparing to meet my daughter. It will be a moment of great joy and sadness,” she concluded.
“Knowing that Chris won’t be there to hold her and meet her with me will bring a new kind of grief.
“Chris and I have had many conversations about how we would become parents and I feel ready to do what he would have wanted.
“I’ve been through a lot and I still have a big challenge ahead of me: to do my absolute best to make sure my kids know Chris without ever getting to know him.”