Couple Welcomes Terminal 'Bucket List' Baby, Then Says Goodbye
— -- The Pennsylvania couple that carried out a heartbreaking bucket list for an unborn baby with a terminal condition announced the birth of the boy today, and his death a few hours later.
"Today at 6:15 a.m., after meeting his entire family and being baptized into the Catholic faith, baby Shane died peacefully in his Mother's arms," Jenna and Dan Haley of Philadelphia wrote in a Facebook message. "We are so grateful for the time that we were blessed to hold and hug our son."
Shane was diagnosed with anencephaly, a brain defect in which a baby is born without parts of its brain and skull and isn't expected to survive. Almost all babies die shortly after birth, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The couple told ABC News in an earlier interview they learned of the condition in April and decided they wanted to make the most of Shane's life by creating a bucket list they would tackle while Jenna Haley was pregnant.
"He's still our little boy and even though he's been given such a short life expectancy because of anencephaly, we wanted to make sure that we gave him a lifetime worth of adventures and love while he's with us," Dan Haley said last month.
The parents created a Facebook page "Prayers for Shane" to chronicle their adventures, from visiting a pumpkin patch to a Phillies game. They also went to beaches, zoos, the Statue of Liberty and the 9/11 memorial in New York City.
Shane, whose due date was Oct. 12, came a few days early today. He was born at 2:25 a.m., according to the Facebook page, and died a few hours later.
The couple hoped their journey, while bittersweet, will inspire others.
"One thing we would want people to take away is that each human life is so valuable and that it's important to live each day to its fullest potential," Dan Haley said last month.
ABC News' Eliza Murphy contributed to this report.
