Mom of 4 Who Died of COVID Never Got Chance to Hold Newborn Baby: 'That's All She Wanted'
Facebook Michelle Stani
Less than a month after welcoming her fourth child, a beloved New Jersey mother died of COVID-19.
Michelle Stani, 37, contracted the virus in December — and it "hit her hard very fast," her aunt Tina Stani, who said she did not know if Michelle had been vaccinated, told The New York Post.
Michelle went on to welcome her fourth child, son Jayden, on Dec. 24, according to a Facebook post from her partner Frank Allen. Tragically, she never got a chance to hold him.
"Her partner had taken a picture of the baby and showed it to her, but that's all she got," her aunt told The New York Post. "It tore her up. She literally texted me that she was heartbroken, that she wished she could hold her baby. That's all she wanted."
The mom of four died on Jan. 12 of virus complications linked to pneumonia, according to the outlet.
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Michelle was remembered by loved ones as being "so strong and loving."
"Michelle was such a beautiful soul," reads a message on a GoFundMe page to cover medical bills as well as provide for her four "beautiful children: Samantha, 19, Noah, 4, Jordan, 11 months, and Jayden, 3 weeks."
As of Thursday, the campaign has raised over $37,000.
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Born in New Brunswick and raised in Somerset, Michelle "valued education highly and loved being around children," according to her obituary.
"She started her career as a childcare worker at 18 years old and eventually became a director of a day care center in Central Jersey," the obituary states.
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Before her death, Michelle also graduated from Rutgers University with a master's degree for education.
"The fact that she was pregnant, had a rambunctious 4-year-old at home and still got her master's degree, I would think you would be in awe of her," Michelle's aunt told The New York Post. "She did it all and worked full-time."
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More than anything, Michelle loved being a parent.
"She was a loving mother and devoted her life to raising her children," the obituary reads. "She enjoyed having deep conversations, but could also be lighthearted and loved to make people laugh. Michelle was a strong, independent woman with a soft heart and a beautiful soul. She was the kind of person that if you met once, you would never forget her."
Those interested in donating to Michelle Stani's GoFundMe can do so here.
