Many children grow up without a father or a mother. But the twins David and Samuel (1) have a very special story – they were born three years after their father died of cancer.
Now the descendants have become young people
Lucy Kelsall (37) from Bristol in the UK has just celebrated the twins’ first birthday. They were surrounded by family and friends – and pictures of dad David.
– We talked about David all day. I’m always talking about him. Even though they do not understand anything yet, I do this so that they will grow up with a certainty about who their father was, says Lucy.
READY FOR BIRTH: Here is Lucy just before the twins came into the world – excited about the miracle that was to happen. Photo: Mercury Press & Media Ltd
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Removed the larynx
Lucy and David got married in 2012, and only two years later they received the bad news: David had a tumor in his throat.
Over the next three years, he went through 99 rounds of radiation. In addition, he had to remove the larynx and some of the neck, so that he was dependent on an electronic device to be able to speak.
TRIED EVERYTHING: To fight the cancer, David had to undergo extensive surgery in the neck region. But it was still not enough for him to recover. Photo: Mercury Press & Media Ltd
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The couple had been trying to become parents ever since they got married, but put it on hold when David became so ill.
Eventually, they decided to freeze his sperm, in case the treatment made him sterile.
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Never got well
But despite all the treatments, it was not possible to save David’s life. He died in 2017, just 45 years old.
– A few days before he died, I promised that I would fulfill his wish – I would have children with him, even if he disappeared. He was surprised at first – but then incredibly happy, says Lucy.
ALWAYS WITH: Lucy talks all the time about Dad David with his boys. She wants them to get to know her father’s memory. Photo: William Lailey / Caters news agency
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– I know he would be a fantastic dad, she adds, choking on tears.
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Using in vitro fertilization, she eventually became pregnant, three years after David passed away. The pregnancy went well, and Lucy had good support from her family.
Living in a hell of pain
– It was incredibly strong when the twins were born. Knowing that I have David with me later in life – in this way – is absolutely fantastic, she says.
Lucy has made picture books for the boys about their father, which they read every day. The first word of both boys was “dada” – “mama” came only long after.
