Mother of Five Delivers Baby Prematurely So She Can Fight for a Chance to Survive

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Seven years ago, Kathy Taylor had a spot of melanoma removed from her back. As she continued to raise and home school her children, everything seemed to be fine. Then, just three weeks ago, the unexpected happened: Kathy’s cancer returned so quickly and with such a vengeance that it caught the entire family off guard.

At the time, she was 26 weeks pregnant with her sixth child. She held on a couple more weeks, just to increase her son’s chance of survival, but earlier this week, it became clear that he needed to be born if there was any hope of Kathy surviving.

“She was doing everything in her power to hold that baby in her so she could give him the protection and nourishment she needed to as a mommy,” Jocelyn Taylor, Kathy’s mother-in-law, told KSL.

Luke, who was born at 1 pound, 15 ounces, is expected to remain in the hospital until December 1th, but is said to be doing well, considering his early delivery.

“She delivered a little, healthy preemie baby boy,” Jocelyn said. “He’s about as long as a pencil.”

But as little Luke is being cared for in incubators, receiving the treatment he needs to grow and hopefully survive, his mother is fighting her own battle—one that the family prays she will win.

“She’s fading. She seems to have a foot in both worlds right now,” Jocelyn said. “Her organs are shutting down. The fact that she is here today must mean there is some shred of hope.”

And that hope is exactly what her family is clinging to. It’s what Ally hoped for on her 10^th birthday as her mother sat in on Skype to watch her open presents.

“Sunday morning, Kathy woke up with a determined state of mind. All Kathy desired, her purpose for living just one more day, was so that sweet Ally wouldn’t have to share her birthday with her mother’s passing,” Brandon Taylor, Kathy’s brother-in-law told KSL. “Through her sheer will and determination, she plugged through the day.”

And it’s what everyone continues to hope for as an outpouring of support and positive thoughts are sent to the family by family, friends, and even complete strangers.

“The love we feel from total strangers. We’ve had emails from people saying how inspired they are by Kathy’s fight,” Jocelyn said. “There is no power on this earth like love.”

And love is exactly what they are giving little Luke, regardless of the outcome of Kathy’s fight. In fact, while they hope that the new treatment she started this Monday will prolong her life, the family is also preparing for the possibility that a husband may soon be without his wife, and six children may soon be without their mother.

“She gave the gift of life to this child and we, who are going to stay on earth, have a responsibility, and we are going to love this little guy,” Jocelyn said.

But in the meantime, while the family waits for results, they want to share a very important message:

Treat each day as a gift, and always say “I love you.”

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