Man Mourns Death of Pregnant Wife, Says She ‘Left behind the Most Beautiful Gift’ of Their Baby’s Life

A man lost his pregnant wife to a reckless driver. However, paramedics were able to save her baby after a feeling in their gut that the child still lived — this is the story of how he found a silver lining in her tragic demise. 

Loss and tragedy are two things that usually happen unexpectedly in the life of a human. However, despite the devastation that follows, it is essential to remember that the loss can and will be replaced with something unexpected.

Unfortunately, this was precisely what happened with Brandon Russell. Russell’s wife Samantha had been his high school sweetheart who fell in love and chose to get married.

Brandon Russell’s son, Mac. | Source: tiktok.com/brandonrusell5664

SHE WAS GOAL-DRIVEN 

According to her parents, Lischen Castorena and Roger Castorena, the woman had been full of life, and she had two favorite catchphrases — “life is good” and “make good choices.” 

She and Russell had many goals, and according to her parents, they were accomplishing them one after the other. Her mom, Lischen, said: 

“She always wanted to be a mom. They had a very special relationship. They had a lot of fun. They had a lot of goals. They were reaching every goal. They were getting there.”

Her family loved her drive and zest for life, and so did her husband, who was greatly influenced by her bubbly nature.

According to Russell, she had been the most fitting example of what a happy person looks like, and for her, it was second nature to make sure everyone felt that. 

Before the accident that claimed her life, Samantha had badgered her husband for a goodbye kiss as she prepared to head out as though she knew that it would be the last time they would get to do that, and fortunately, he had obliged her before going on to find some sleep. 

Never in a million years did he think that her eerie words, “you’re not going to see me when you wake,” were a proclamation of what would happen.

THE TRAGIC INCIDENT 

Samantha, 22, lost her life in July 2021 shortly before 5 p.m.; she had been at an intersection waiting to make a left turn when a reckless driver who had been trying to escape the Wichita police ran a red light and slammed into her car.

Both vehicles were affected; however, Russell’s wife, who had been heavy with their child, was the one who lost her life.

Thankfully, paramedics had arrived on the scene shortly after, and they somehow knew that her child was still alive, so they rushed Samantha to Wesley Medical Center, where her baby boy was delivered. 

The boy was in a problematic condition; however, doctors were able to save him before Samantha was declared dead at around 7 p.m. It was a sign for the grieving father from Samantha that he needed to stay strong for the sake of their child. 

The man behind the chaos was a suspect named Ervin, and he had been fleeing from the Wichita police force, who had been called in to investigate a robbery at a hotel on West Taft. He made away in a white Dodge pickup, but his accomplice was arrested near Maple and Ridge.

Ervin was charged with several crimes, including first-degree murder in the commission of a felony, aggravated battery, and criminal possession of a firearm.

According to records from the Kansas Department of Corrections, he had an old aggravated battery conviction and four robbery convictions.

He had been no stranger to prison, having been in and out of the system since 2004. He had been last released when his sentence expired on June 15, 2021, mere weeks before the cost Samantha her life. 

AFTER THE COLLISION

Russell named his son Mac, but the boy had to remain at the hospital for seven weeks before he was deemed fit enough to return home with his grieving father. 

When the time came, the proud father took to his Facebook page to share his excitement and thank those who had been influential in helping Mac get healthy enough to return home.

It was a joyful thing, but it did not erase the pain of losing the woman the proud father had planned to raise him with, so he was left with no choice but to mourn her loss while celebrating his birth.

The grieving man kept his family and friends abreast of developments with Mac via Facebook. Three days after the boy was born, Russell wrote: 

“Mac is doing pretty well. He is making progress everyday. The doctors are unsure about how long he went without oxygen and after the MRI done yesterday they told me that he has some damage in some spots with the white matter in the brain.”

While he mourned his wife’s demise, the devoted dad committed to always being there for his son even though nothing would ever remain the same for either of them. 

If their story has taught anyone anything, it is that tragedy and loss can happen to anyone. Still, it is best to remember that whatever is taken away from you will either get replaced with a much greater thing that will provide strength to bear the loss.

In Brandon Russell’s case, fate gave him the strength to bear the loss of his wife’s life by giving him a son.

Anomama