Just hours after Danielle Milian welcomed her son Richie into the world, he died of Omphalocele, an abdominal wall defect that causes internal organs to grow outside of the body because of a hole in the belly button. Milian posted a heartwarming message to her social media accounts, acknowledging the time she and Richie spent together, as well as, how much support she's been receiving throughout her pregnancy.
"Yesterday I was blessed with the birth of my Richie Bear," wrote Milian on her Instagram account. "Unfortunately, last night he took his place with the Lord and we said goodbye. I so appreciate the prayers and support from everyone. He touched my heart and was perfect in so many ways."
Milian found out about her son's Omphalocele diagnosis in March while she was still pregnant, according to Us Weekly. Doctors disclosed the information during an ultrasound. Several of the baby's organs, including the intestines, liver, and spleen, could be seen outside her son's torso, causing the technician to have trouble verifying her son's sex at the time. The chance of mortality was 53 percent.
A photo posted by Danielle Milian (@danielle_milian) on Aug 26, 2015 at 12:19pm PDT
Her sister, singer and actress Christina Milian, also expressed her heartbreak after losing her newborn nephew. Milian described the battle her family had been enduring and the strength her sister and brother-in-law have executed since receiving the diagnosis. The family is appreciative for the opportunity of meeting him, but are at peace knowing he's in heaven watching down on them.
"The last 24 hours have been an emotional roller coaster but i'd like to thank everyone for being so supportive throughout my sister Danielle & Richard's pregnancy.," wrote Milian in her Instagram post. "The both of them have shown the true measure of courage and faith for the last 9 months and I can't praise them more."
The 29-year-old Christina Milian Turned Up star is the mother of two beautiful children, son DJ and daughter Naomi Rose. Doctors advised Milian and her husband Richard Dickerson to terminate their pregnancy, but the concerned parents took a leap of faith on baby Richie and decided to continue with the full term of the pregnancy. Milian was convinced she must've done something to bring on the abdominal defect, but the doctors reassured her it was out of her control.
"I said to [Richard], 'Could you live with this?' Because I know can. I know I could be in a hospital every day," said Milian to Us Weekly. "As a mother, I will do whatever it takes for my child...No matter how long he has in this world, I could not imagine taking his chance away."
Since learning about the rare condition, Danielle Milian joined a support group with other mothers who dealt or are currently dealing with children that suffer from Omphalocele. Milian says the group sessions helped her a lot. Listening and learning from other parents who've been in the same situation brought an immense amount of comfort to her. It also gave her hope about Richie's survival rate. Despite shocking mortality rate, Milian met a woman in her 50s living with the disease and doing really well.
The Milian and Dickerson family are currently in mourning and are extremely grateful for the love and support they've received from other family members, friends, and fans. Our condolences are with them as they deal with this tragic news.
