In an act of profound courage and compassion, a mother from Florida chose to carry her pregnancy to full term knowing her newborn daughter would not survive, so the infant's organs could be donated to save other babies.
A Devastating Diagnosis and a Life-Changing Decision
Catherine Mornhineway, 30, and her partner Andrew Ford received heartbreaking news during a routine ultrasound in June. At 14 weeks pregnant, doctors discovered their baby likely had anencephaly, a severe birth defect affecting roughly one in 5,250 pregnancies where the skull and brain do not fully develop. A second scan confirmed the diagnosis and revealed they were expecting a girl.
Medical professionals explained that the condition meant their daughter would not survive after birth and that many parents in this situation choose to terminate the pregnancy. Catherine wrestled with the decision for three weeks. Inspiration finally came from an unlikely source: an episode of the medical drama 'Grey's Anatomy' which featured organ donation. This sparked the realisation that their daughter's brief life could have profound meaning by helping others.
Four Precious Days with Baby Haven
Haven was born on December 11 at 10.31pm, weighing six pounds. She was immediately placed on life support in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). For the next four days, her family surrounded her with love. She was kissed, hugged, and introduced to her three siblings, cousins, aunts, uncles, and grandparents.
"I got to see her and her little feet and hands," Catherine Mornhineway recounted. "She really seemed like she had quite a personality. It was really special, the time that we got." In a poignant moment, nurses helped take Haven outside, life support machines in tow, so she could feel the sunshine.
Her father, Andrew Ford, described her peaceful passing: "Back in the hospital room, she passed on my chest, and, you know, we were all just kind of snuggled into bed, and I just couldn't think of a more beautiful way to say goodbye." Haven's final day was December 14.
A Legacy of Life and an Unprecedented Honour Walk
True to their word, Haven's parents proceeded with organ donation. The HCA Florida hospital held its first-ever honour walk for a newborn, a tradition where medical staff line the halls to pay tribute to an organ donor. Surgeons from Lifelink, an organ and tissue donation organisation, recovered Haven's organs. Recovery surgeon Jacentha Buggs told the Tampa Bay Times that Haven was the youngest patient she had ever operated on.
The family's extraordinary decision has resonated widely. Strangers have contacted them with messages of support and have made donations to Donate Life in Haven's memory. Online, many have praised the couple's selflessness. One comment read, "A brave and unselfish choice, given in love and memory," while another stated, "What a truly loving act and legacy to honor their precious daughter Haven, a true haven for the lives she saved."
Reflecting on their journey, Andrew Ford said, "I don’t think we ever really got over it, just more so accepting that it’s out of your control." Their choice, born from immense grief, has transformed a tragedy into a lasting legacy, offering other infants a chance at life.
