The loss of a child is one of the most difficult things that a family could possibly go through. An Iowa family is now struggling with that loss because their one-year-old daughter has died. Coralynn ‘Cora’ Eve Sobolik, a 22-month-old girl was taken to surgery and her parents bravely shared the video footage. The surgery was not to save her life, it was to possibly save the life of others.
Paul and Meagan Sobolik are the parents of this little girl and they share the footage of what happened when their daughter was taken to have her organs donated. She had been declared brain-dead just a day before after suffering complications associated with a virus. Family members and the hospital staff lined the hallways to pay tribute to this little girl. The video also shows expressions of the family, including the mother who whispers “you get to save three people, I love you forever”.
Crowdfunding was set up by the aunt of the little girl. And on that page, it told how she began experiencing problems breathing on April 19. Her family took her to an Iowa hospital but they felt she would be better at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in Rochester, Minnesota.
In preparing to send Coralynn to that hospital, they sedated her but her heart stopped beating. 25 minutes was spent getting her heart pumping again and although it was successful, there were complications.
They thought their daughter would pull through but after a CAT scan, it shows that she had suffered from brain damage. The parents were told that they only had a slight chance of having their daughter wake up again and she would not likely ever be the same.
That night, her health took a turn for the worse.
“In the middle of the night, Cora’s brain started to swell, and they did an emergency CAT scan,” Brevig wrote. “This test came back with the worst news ever. There was no coming back.”
Facebook video may take a moment to load:
By Sunday, April 21, Cora was pronounced brain-dead. Her parents made the decision to donate her organs to those who needed them.
“When we knew that she wasn’t ever going to wake and that she was gone mentally, we knew that she would want her organs to help people in need,” Meagan Sobolik said.
They wanted to provide video of the moment that she was wheeled down the hallway for family members who were not able to attend. After being uploaded online, it was shared with millions of people.
“I was speechless, and it was truly wonderful to see and feel so much love and support for our little girl,” Sobolik said.
“Even though Coralynn was so young, she made a huge impact on the world,” her obituary read.
“Coralynn was able to donate her heart and save a 1 year old little boy, her liver saved a 1 year old little girl, and her kidneys went to help a 41 year old lady.”
The mother gains encouragement from knowing that her daughter has made such a difference in the lives of others.
“When your child donates their organs, they live on in someone else [and] they are saving people that otherwise [might] not be saved without your child’s gifts,” Sobolik said.
“Our daughter was absolutely the world to us. She was such a happy little girl and always laughing — her laugh was infectious.
“Cora is our little superhero, and I believe is becoming an inspiration for millions of people and also helping to raise awareness for organ donation all over the world.”
H/T: Western Journal