A father's dying wish was to hold his newborn child before he passed away. INSIDE EDITION talks to the wife who recalls their race against time.
It was a race against time to deliver a newborn baby girl into the arms of her daddy. It was the only chance he would ever have to hold his precious little girl.
Ask Diane Aulger about her husband Mark and she'll say he loved his family more than life itself.
"It meant everything knowing that he was able to see her and hold her," said Diane.
As their family grew, Mark and Diane happily squeezed everybody into their home outside Dallas.
"He just loved being a dad," said Diane.
In a home video taken last Christmas, Diane was very pregnant with their fifth child. The 52-year-old dad relished his electric guitar. But the best gift of all was a kiss from his little girl.
But life was about to take a terrible turn. Mark had survived colon cancer only to learn that chemotherapy treatments had destroyed his lungs and he had developed pulmonary fibrosis.
Diane recalled, "They came in and told him that he had about a week to live."
So Diane made a decision to induce labor two weeks early so her husband could see his newborn baby before he died.
"I didn't have to think about it. It was instantaneous," said Diane.
Mark held his little girl for the first time, swaddled in a blanket, but he couldn't contain his emotions.
"He just held her and cried and smiled and laughed," recalled Diane as she fought back tears of joy and sorrow.
"Mark was so madly in love with her. When he saw her he cried. It was sad and bittersweet.," said Diane.
"Hello Savannah," he said, with an oxygen mask helping him to breath.
The whole family gathered around to cherish the moment they'll share forever in the few hours that Mark had left.
Diane placed Savannah in her daddy's arms one last time and took a photograph. Then Mark slipped away.
Diane said, "He died with her in his arms. This baby looks like her daddy."
Savannah is surrounded by memories of her loving dad. Even though he is gone, Diane has faith Mark will always be close by, forever Savannah's guardian angel.
As hard as it's been losing her husband, Diane says she's been heart-struck at the generosity of people who've tried to help.
Donations for the Aulger family can be made at any Wells Fargo bank to the "Diane Aulger Fund."
