Doctors were able to save an unborn baby’s life after a pregnant woman was fatally shot on Monday — but the child is still desperately in need of both medical care and prayer.
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The harrowing ordeal unfolded during an attempted robbery in Columbus, Ohio. The mother, Marlazia Jones-Mattox, 21, was 35 weeks pregnant when she and two others were shot during an alleged home invasion, WTTE-TV reported.
MORE: A family member shared these photos of 21-year-old Marlazia Jones-Mattox, and 23-year-old Keith Brian Williams III who were killed in the gunfire. https://t.co/M2gqJlyz97 pic.twitter.com/HoytvwTke9
— ABC6 (@wsyx6) January 2, 2018
Both Jones-Mattox and Keith Brian Williams, 23, were killed and another unnamed victim remains in critical condition.
Incredibly, though, doctors were able to deliver Jones-Mattox’s unborn baby, who also remains in critical condition; Jones-Mattox died at the hospital after the assault.
Grieving family members decided to name the baby Markeith Kamar Jones-Mattox Williams after the deceased couple.
Now, the murdered couple’s family members are praying for the baby’s survival, as they said Jones-Mattox was shot numerous times in the stomach and the child went without oxygen.
Doctors said it will take at least 72 hours for definitive results on whether brain damage has been suffered.
“They said the baby suffered for not having oxygen so they gave him blood,” Gwen Galloway, Williams’ grandma, told WTTE. “They were giving him a blood transfusion.”
Williams’ mom, Jennifer Dersoon, said that the child is her “miracle grandbaby” and is a “fighter.”
The family holds on to hope that doctors can help the child — and two separate GoFundMe accounts have been launched to raise funds to help pay for funeral expenses.
“Marlazia lost her life to a senseless gun violence,” reads a description on Jones-Mattox’s GoFundMe page. “She … was looking forward to being a first time mom. Our family is in a lot of pain and we still don’t understand why this happen[ed] to her.”
The text continues, “She didn’t deserve to die this way.”