‘Miracle’ girl born after crash near death: family

A four-year-old girl, who was called a “miracle” when she was born moments after her mother was fatally struck by a drunk driver, does not have long to live, family members say.

Aurora Sky Brandi Ledoux was born prematurely in July 2013 after her mother, Brandy Lepine, and a friend of her mother’s, Taylor Litwin, were involved in a twovehicle collision in Prince Albert.

At a sentencing hearing for Jeremiah Jobb in 2015, court heard his blood alcohol level was two and a half times the legal limit when he crashed his vehicle into the vehicle occupied by Lepine and Litwin. Court heard Jobb was driving 154 kilometres per hour in a 50 km/h zone.

Lepine, 17, died soon after Aurora was delivered via caesarean section. Litwin, 21, also died as a result of her injuries. During the sentencing, the judge called Aurora an “unborn miracle.”

Doctors told the family that Wednesday would likely be Aurora’s “last day,” Lepine’s cousin, Sara Mirasty, wrote in a message to the Saskatoon StarPhoenix.

“( W )e’re trying to stay strong for her, crying off and on.”

Aurora, cared for since birth by her grandmother, Josephine, has had medical issues all her life. She “suddenly” became ill recently, Mirasty said, adding that Aurora’s lungs are full of fluid and she is on pain medication because the fluid on her brain is building and causing pressure. The child is also having kidney difficulties.

Mirasty’s aunt, Josephine Ledoux, “is trying really hard to stay strong but she still has a smile on her face cause (Josephine) says at least (Aurora) won’t suffer with any pain anymore, but cries quite often,” Mirasty said.

Almost from birth, Aurora had seizures and required constant medical attention. In recent days, she has been on a monitor to keep track of her pulse rate, blood pressure and oxygen levels.

In a statement, the family said the tragedy should be a reminder of the damage impaired driving can cause.

“The suffering that Aurora went through in her short (four) years of life is an effect of drinking and driving that most people don’t see,” the family wrote.

“The ones that cause (a tragedy) like this don’t have to experience what a single day was like for this little girl or her family. She was robbed of a mother, an aunt and a childhood because of someone else’s decision. In (four and a half ) years, she has been in and out of the hospital, endured numerous operations and experienced more pain (than) most would ever have to feel.

“She has touched the lives of so many people, even those that have never met her. She has been a light in the darkness that was felt by losing her mother. Now, we are losing her too.

“Please, learn from our pain so you don’t have to inflict this on anyone else. Don’t make a choice that forces others to deal with your consequences. Don’t drink and drive.”