Beating cancer is no joke. It’s a disease that has taken so many lives around the world. That’s why when a person becomes cancer-free, one celebrates the amazing victory.

On December 11, Mark Aulger a 52-year-old father received the news that he was cancer-free after eight months of chemotherapy.

Mark was diagnosed with colon cancer in April and had to undergo surgery along with chemotherapy.

For the past eight months, Mark and his family went on a long battle in fighting cancer. When the news broke that he was finally cancer-free, it was an exciting time for his family.

Mark was able to live his life. Excitingly, it was not the only good news they were about to hear.

Diane Aulger, Mark’s wife, was pregnant with their fifth child!

It was a happy season for the family. Based on a home movie on Christmas, the Aulger family was seen enjoying Christmas. Diane was handing out gifts to their children while Mark was playing the guitar.

But everything started to change when Mark began having trouble breathing. On January 3, they went to the hospital to find out the cause of Mark’s breathing problems.

The family found out that Mark developed pulmonary fibrosis.

Pulmonary fibrosis causes scarring and thickening in the lungs. It was formed due to the chemotherapy over the past six months. The family was hopeful that Mark will recover. He was able to beat cancer, of course, he can beat another one.

“He thought he’d be coming home in a few days with an oxygen tank,” Diane said in a CBS interview.

On January 16, the doctors delivered the bad news that Mark’s situation was fatal. He only had less than a week to live. It was not the news the family was expecting.

Diane was supposed to give birth on January 9.

She was planning to have a natural birth, but with their current situation, she asked for induced labor. Doctors and family agreed on their plan. It was the only way for Mark to meet his daughter.

It was final, Diane was going to give birth two weeks early.

Besides she was already experiencing labor symptoms. They chose January 18 for the birth of their daughter, Savannah. On the day of the delivery, the nurses and staff arranged for the room to be turned into a labor and delivery room.

“Our beds were side by side,” Diane Aulger said.

Mark stayed in his bed as Diane gave birth. He gave her support in his own way.

“The day she was born his oxygen levels were really high,” Aulger said.

“”He held her for 45 minutes. Him and I just cried that whole time.”

Holding one’s baby for the first time is a special moment for any parent. But for Mark, he was only able to hold Savannah for forty-five minutes. He tried to hold her again, but he was only able to last for a minute.

The next day, Mark went into a coma. Despite being in a coma, Mark would try to be present for his daughter.

“If she cried, he would shake his head and moan. I put her on him when he was in the coma a few times and his hand would move toward her,” Diane said.

On January 23, Mark passed away with his family beside him.

It was a difficult time for the family, but they were thankful for the amount of support they were given. Each day they make an effort to live as if Mark is with them.

Savannah may not be able to meet her dad as she grows up, but she will always be reminded of the sweet moment between them after her birth.

Watch the bittersweet moment a dying father meets his baby in the video below.

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Source: CBS, ABC, The Doctors