Couple Together, Couple Photos
Upon learning that her husband had at most one week left to live, Diana Ogle decided to induce labor early so her husband could hold their daughter before passing. The daughter lay in her father's arms, capturing their first and final photo together.
From Heaven Above
Mark Ogle was 52 years old and lived in Colony, Texas with his 31-year-old wife Diana. They had four children and were expecting their fifth this year.
Last Christmas Eve, the doctor told Ogle that he had overcome cancer. As the family celebrated Christmas, Ogle played guitar and sang songs; Diana gave gifts to their four children.
However, on January 3rd this year, Ogle experienced difficulty breathing and was hospitalized. Doctors found that eight months of chemotherapy had destroyed his lungs. The diagnosis showed that Ogle's lungs had become fibrotic. Diana informed an ABC reporter: "We thought that if he received steroid treatment and oxygen therapy, he could live a few more years." On January 16th, Diana learned that such treatments were ineffective, and her husband had only one week left to live.
The Only Photo Together
"He was conscious at the time, so I initially didn't believe what the doctors said," Diana recalled. "The next day, his doctor walked into the room and asked: 'When do you plan to give birth?'"
Despite being two weeks away from her due date, Diana decided to deliver immediately.
On January 18th, Diana underwent induced labor and gave birth to their daughter Savannah. During the delivery, Ogle lay on the bed between mother and daughter.
After the baby was born, Ogle, lying in bed with an oxygen mask on, held his daughter and gazed at her. His wife lay on one side, and their four children stood on the other side, looking at the new family member. This was Ogle’s first and last photo with his daughter. Diana recalled: "He held her for 45 minutes. Both of us cried nonstop."
The next day, Ogle wanted to hold his daughter again but could only manage it for a minute before becoming too weak. "He was too frail," she said. That day, Ogle fell into a coma.
"Ten-year-old son asked: 'Is dad sleeping?' I answered: 'No, dad is in a coma.'"
"He then asked: 'Will dad die?' I said: 'Yes.' He screamed, and the 8-year-old daughter began crying out: 'I don’t have a dad anymore.'"
The Last Embrace
"When she cried, he would shake his head and cry," Diana remembered. "Each time he went into a coma, I placed her on him, and his hand would reach out to her."
On January 23rd, surrounded by family, Ogle passed away in his bed while holding his daughter.
"His heartbeat slowed, and his breathing weakened. I placed her in his arms, holding his hand until the very end."
"When I was pregnant, he would talk to my belly. He couldn't wait to meet his daughter... For Savannah, he would have been an incredible father." "Savannah has brought a ray of light to our sorrow."
By Hui Xiaoshuang (Special Correspondent for Xinhua News Agency)