Heather Brown, a pregnant Texas woman who fell into a coma and gave birth to her son by emergency C-section, has died 14 years after the medical tragedy.
Brown, from Gladewater, passed away on September 18, her family announced on Facebook just days after her son John’s 14th birthday.
She had remained in the coma that began in 2012, when she was 34 weeks pregnant. Although she experienced occasional moments of awareness over the years, including speaking a few words and gripping a relative’s hand, she never fully recovered.
At the time, Heather was suffering seizures caused by an aneurysm while her husband, Sean, was serving in Afghanistan, CBS 19 reports.
After Heather slipped into a coma, Sean rushed home to be with his wife and their baby. Their son, John, was born on September 15, 2012, weighing four pounds, six ounces.
Sean stayed by Heather’s side throughout her long recovery and regularly shared updates through the Bringing Home the Browns Facebook page.
He documented key milestones, including bringing Heather home in July 2013 and hearing her speak for the first time in almost a year in September 2014.
On Wednesday, the grieving father announced that Heather had died.
“Thank you all that supported and prayed for us during this journey,” he wrote.
Heather Brown, of Gladewater, Texas, died on September 18
She fell into a coma at 34 weeks pregnant in 2012 before giving birth to her son by emergency C-section
Sean and Heather met on a blind date and quickly became inseparable, the devoted husband told PEOPLE in 2015.
“We would stay up until the wee hours talking, and about a month later, we moved in with each other,” he recalled. “We got married the following year, I guess she was willing to put up with me for the rest of her life.”
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The couple soon began planning to have a family.
“I could tell she was going to be a great mom,” Sean said. “She was a natural with kids.”
The news was especially surprising because the couple had initially been told Heather was infertile. When they learned she was pregnant in 2012, Sean said, “it didn’t sink in at first.”
“We were in awe and shock,” he said.
Even after being diagnosed with high blood pressure, Sean said Heather remained constantly active and found it difficult to sit still.
By 2015, however, Heather could move only her fingers, blink to answer yes-or-no questions and whisper a few words.
Heather died only days after her son John celebrated his 14th birthday
Sean and Heather had met on a blind date, and the two quickly became inseparable
‘She once said my name and John’s name,’ Sean recounted. ‘I never realized that I had an Achilles’ heel until she wasn’t here.
‘I hurt for her that she has missed out on everything,’ he said at the time, noting that all Heather ever wanted was to have a family and be a mother.
Charity Robinson, the friend who set them up on their blind date, also called Heather ‘the most nurturing woman you could ever meet.
‘So the fact that she can’t wipe away John’s tears or give him a kiss is so heartbreaking,’ she said.
A memorial service is scheduled for October 10.
