A San Diego mom of two has tragically died after giving birth via surrogacy. This was the second surrogacy pregnancy for Michelle Reaves who “fought for her life” throughout the traumatic birth.
Though the baby girl was delivered successfully, Reaves faced one complication after another, according to the GoFundMe page set up on behalf of her family. Doctors tried to revive her, but she did not survive.
Family Remembers Mom Who Died Giving Birth Via Surrogacy
Andrea Axelson, a family friend, told Today that Reaves “began hemorrhaging” during the delivery. Reaves leaves behind her husband, Chris, and their two young children, Gage and Monroe.
“He’s completely lost without her,” Axelson told Today of Chris. “They had a great marriage. They were that Facebook couple that you envy.” Jaime Herwehe, who created the fundraiser for the family, wrote that Reaves will always be remembered for the love she gave her family.
Herwehe added that there wasn’t a day that went by where the mom wasn’t posting or speaking about her children:
“She will always be known for the love she had for her family. Michelle has the best, most sarcastic, funny personality and always had you laughing. […] This all doesn’t even feel real, let’s be there for Michelle’s family like they would be for us. No one deserves to lose their mama so young or the mother of their children.”
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately 700 women die each year in the U.S. because of pregnancy or delivery complications. The United States has the worst rate of maternal deaths than any other developed country, according to a 2017 study conducted by ProPublica and NPR.
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Many people took to the GoFundMe page and Reaves’ Facebook page to honor her. “May her selfless act be forever honored,” someone wrote on the family’s GoFundMe page.
“Surrogates accept a risk of death to fulfill the dreams of someone who can’t fulfill their own. The goodness in this woman’s heart was beyond words. May she rest in peace.”