JoEllen Engelbart (Image: Facebook/Jackson County Prosecutor鈥檚 Office)
A first-time mother died of COVID-19 just four days after giving birth to a baby boy in Missouri in the United States.
JoEllen Engelbart, a 32-year-old assistant prosecutor for Jackson County, succumbed to the disease on Jan. 2, as per ABC affiliate KMBC on the same day.
Her and husband Matt鈥檚 first child, a son named Ross, was born three months premature. Engelbart鈥檚 brother, Larry Flanagan, later pointed out that she was unable to even hold baby Ross before she died.
鈥淭he fact that she never got to hold him is devastating,鈥� he told Fox-affiliate WDAF.
鈥淗er whole life was the last few months dedicated to make sure Ross gets into this world,鈥� he added. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 all she cared about.鈥�
One of her colleagues and good friends, Kelly Conlon, has since set up a crowdfunding for Engelbart鈥檚 husband and son.
Conlon assured that despite the tragic loss, baby Ross was 鈥渁 fighter just like his mother and will spend the next few months getting healthy to come home.鈥� The newborn is currently being tended to in a neonatal intensive care unit.
The fundraiser has already received over $116,800 from more than 1,500 donors as of this writing. The amount will be directly handed over to Matt to help cover the hospitalization of his late wife and newborn son. Ryan Arcadio聽/ra
RELATED STORIES:
How first-time mothers are giving birth, rearing babies in the new normal