On May 11th, a pregnant 26 year old woman Sarah Iler of Cape
Girardeau, Missouri, who was one day past her due date and
was already dilated was driving to the hospital with
her estranged husband, 34 year old Matt Rider on Wednesday
morning to have her baby. The couple had been estranged for
awhile, but had recently reconciled and were excited to meet
their first child together, a baby girl.However, on their way to
the hospital at about 8:04am, a tanker truck crashed into a
Nissan SUV, which in turn hit the couple's vehicle, a Blazer.
The couple's Blazer overturned and threw them out of the
vehicle instantly killing Iler. Knowing the mother was dead,
emergency personnel performed CPR to give the baby girl,
Maddyson, a chance to live.
Iler was taken to Saint Francis Medical Center, where an
emergency cesarean section was performed on her. Her
daughter, Maddyson was born 4 pounds and 15 ounces and
was immediately put on a ventilator, Kasandra Iler, Sandra's
sister said. The baby was small enough that she needed
special treatment.
Fortunately, by Friday afternoon, Maddyson opened her eyes
and grabbed a nurse's hand after she was taken off the
ventilator. It is not certain whether the child suffered any brain
damage due to a lack of oxygen within the time her mum died.
Kassandra Iler said:
“The thought never once entered my head that that baby
might die”. “I felt my sister gave her life to save this
baby. That’s how God wanted it. We’ve been calling
her our little miracle.”
Her estranged husband who was a passenger in the vehicle
seems to be doing better. All of his limbs and a few ribs were
broken, and he’s endured several surgeries. Kasandra Iler said
Iler’s family has not traveled to see him at Barnes-Jewish
Hospital, where he was taken after the collision but
that pictures have served as the replacement for a face-to-face
meeting. Sarah Iler's family, sisters Kansandra Iler and Amanda West,
and her mother, Patricia Knight, are waiting to see what
happens with Maddyson and Rider, but the question of who is
going to take care of Maddyson is unanswered for now.
“She had her whole life ahead of her,” Knight said of her
daughter. “And now the baby has to grow up without
her mother. ... Amanda, it’s like she’s lost her other
half. You can’t tell Amanda and Sarah apart in a lot of
pictures.
“Sarah, she just touched everybody’s life,” Knight said.
“She was just amazing.”
A gofund me account was created to help raise money for
Sarah Iler's funeral because she didn't have Life insurance
before she died.
THE DEAD MOTHER
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