Diane Aulger had her ʟᴀʙᴏʀ ɪɴᴅᴜᴄᴇᴅ and gave birth to their daughter Jan. 18. When tiny Savannah was placed in his arms, Mark Aulger “cried, and he just looked very sad” his wife said. He ᴅɪᴇᴅ fives days later from  ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ʀᴇʟᴀᴛᴇᴅ to his ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ. The 52-year-old Texas man was ᴅɪᴀɢɴᴏsᴇᴅ with ᴄᴏʟᴏɴ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ in April. He had sᴜʀɢᴇʀʏ and, as a ᴘʀᴇᴄᴀᴜᴛɪᴏɴ, six month of ᴄʜᴇᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ, Diane Aulger said. With no sɪɢɴs ᴏf ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ showing up in Fᴏʟʟᴏᴡ-ᴜᴘ ᴛᴇsᴛs, the ᴛʀᴇᴀᴛᴍᴇɴᴛ sᴇᴇᴍᴇᴅ sᴜᴄᴄᴇssFᴜʟ. In 2011, the Aulger family spent Christmas together, ʙᴇʟɪᴇᴠɪɴɢ Mᴀʀᴋ had ʙᴇᴀᴛᴇɴ ᴄᴀɴᴄᴇʀ. In the coming year, this Daddy ᴡɪsʜed to keep his newborn daughter in his arms. Mark was back in the ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ on January 3, 2012, ᴜɴᴀʙʟᴇ to ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ. ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs ᴅᴇᴛᴇʀᴍɪɴᴇᴅ that his ʟᴜɴɢꜱ had been ᴅᴇꜱᴛʀᴏʏᴇᴅ by eight months of ᴄʜᴇᴍᴏᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ. Wife Diane Aulger explained:” We thought he could sᴜʀᴠɪᴠᴇ for years on ꜱᴛᴇʀᴏɪᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴀᴘʏ and ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ.”

On January 16, however, ᴅᴏᴄᴛᴏʀs estimated that Mark had just a week to ʟɪᴠᴇ. Diane was just a month away from giving birth to Savannah when she ʀᴇᴄᴇɪᴠᴇᴅ the news. Mark had one last wish before going home to ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ. The father desired to cradle his infant daughter in his arms. Mark Aulger was ᴛʀᴀɴsFᴇʀʀᴇᴅ into a ʟᴀʀɢᴇ ᴅᴇʟɪᴠᴇʀʏ room on January 18 by ʜᴏsᴘɪᴛᴀʟ workers. As Diane deʟɪᴠᴇred their precious baby girl two weeks early, he ʟɪᴇᴅ in his ʙᴇᴅ, completely dependent on up to ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ. Dᴇsᴘɪᴛᴇ being in a ᴄᴏᴍᴀ, her husband was aware of the new baby. Diane looked over at this Daddy holding his newborn baby in a tender and ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ-ᴡʀᴇɴᴄʜɪɴɢ moment. She said:” His ᴏxʏɢᴇɴ levels were ᴇxᴄᴇᴘᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟʟʏ ʜɪɢʜ the day she was born. He kissed her for 45 minutes. All he and I were crying the whole time.” Mark Aulger found his ᴄᴜʀᴇ in ʜᴇᴀᴠᴇɴ a few days later, on January 23rd. He was surrounded by his relatives, including Savannah, who he was ᴄᴀʀʀʏɪɴɢ.

There was no doubt in Mark’s mind that he adored Savannah. Although his family must now ᴄᴏᴘᴇ without him, they can take solace in the fact that his final wish to keep his baby girl in his arms was fulfilled.