There is nothing more devastating than losing a child, but two parents from New Hampton, Iowa, are sharing the heartbreaking moments after they decided to do something good with their baby girl's passing. When Meagan Sobolik's 21-month-old daughter, Coralynn, was declared brain dead after contracting parainfluenza, the parents were inconsolable. But in their grief, they made the choice to donate their daughter's organs and save another little one's life. Video of Coralynn's final moments as she's being wheeled into her organ donation surgery has gone viral, and the her family is sharing the legacy of their little "hero."
The virus that killed Coralynn spread quickly as she went from a healthy toddler to fighting for her life in a matter of days.
Coralynn's parents, Meagan and Paul, rushed their daughter to Cresco Medical Clinic on April 19, reported People. "At the hospital she was having a hard time breathing," aunt Melissa Brevig added on her GoFundMe page. That is why her doctors ultimately decided to transfer her to Mayo Clinic in Rochester, but the journey would test Coralynn's health.
Her parents were able to kiss their daughter goodbye before she was taken to be transported, and it turned out to be the last time they would be able to cuddle their girl. "In a matter of 2 minutes they did the tube to sedate her so she wouldn’t not crash on the ride to Mayo," Brevig wrote. "As that tube was being place[d] Cora's little body couldn’t handle it and her heart stopped. "
Medical staff tried to revive Cora using CPR for 25 minutes as her family helplessly watched on. They were finally able to get Cora stabilized enough to be able to transport her to Mayo Clinic.
At the clinic, doctors told Meagan and Paul that their daughter's heart "was good the echo was good. We had hope!" her aunt continued. But their hopes were quickly dashed after Cora went to get a CAT scan.
The scan revealed "the worst possible news" -- Coralynn had brain damage.
Although it seemed all hope was lost for the little girl, her doctor told the parents that there was a small chance that she would wake up, but "she would have a different life."
"No one care[d] about if she would be different we all just wanted her to wake up and look at us again," Brevig wrote.
In the middle of the night, Coralynn's brain began to swell and the girl was rushed to get an emergency CAT scan. "This test came back with the worst news ever," Brevig wrote. "There was no coming back." Cora was officially declared brain dead at 4:45 p.m. April 21.
“I dropped to my knees and cried and kept saying, ‘No, no, no, God, no,'” Meagan told People. “I then felt numb and felt empty.”
The parents then made a decision that would honor their daughter's life in an incredible way. "They decided that Coralynn had been brought back (to life) in Cresco for a reason," Brevig wrote on the GoFundMe page. "That reason … to be a superhero to other people," she continued.
The parents decided to donate Cora's organs and filmed the heartbreaking final moments she was wheeled to surgery before saying their final goodbyes.
The parents knew that Cora's death could be used to give life to other children.
“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,” her mom explained. Cora's organs went to three individuals, her GoFundMe page noted. And she was "gifting someone’s baby with a very strong heart."
The Metro noted that her heart was going to a 1-year-old boy, her liver went to a 1-year-old girl, and her kidneys were donated to a 41-year-old woman.
"She is going to be living on within three different people,” Meagan said. “She isn’t really gone, she lives on in her legacy.”
But before she give this priceless gift, her parents decided to record Cora as she went into her final organ donation surgery, so their loved ones who couldn't be with her could watch them say goodbye. The hospital's chaplain recorded the devastating footage of her "superhero walk," and the parents later posted the video to raise awareness for this ultimate gift on YouTube, where it has since racked up more than 548,000 views.
Nurses and hospital staff lined the hallway singing Amazing Grace as the family walked Cora down the hallway.
“The doctor that took care of her came in on his day off to be the first in line and also the last one to be with us when they shut the elevator doors to take her to surgery,” Meagan told People. “The nursing staff was amazing to us … They gave us so much comfort and support while we were there, it was amazing.”
Now Meagan and Paul rewatch the video and admit it's hard to see their daughter's final moments, but they know that Cora “is watching it with us in spirit.”
"It also adds comfort to me to see [Cora] again and confirm what we did was the right thing to do," she added.
"We love you Coralynn 'Bean,'" her aunt wrote on the GoFundMe page. "We are not saying goodbye but see you later. Enjoy your bubble bath, splashing in the water with God."
