Weekend Herald

I don’t know how I can raise these kids alone

- Amy Wiggins

The weeks after the birth of Rayan Cosme’s third child should be some of the happiest times in his life but instead they are among the worst.

His wife Arlene Padawag- Cosme, 37, collapsed four days after giving birth to the beautiful baby girl and has been in an induced coma ever since.

The North Shore mother- of- three gave birth to her third daughter, Grayan, on November 20 and all was well when the family went home the next day. The following morning Padawag- Cosme started complainin­g of a sore neck but the couple thought nothing of it.

Two days later, on November 24, Cosme got the news that would bring his world crashing down. He got a phone call at work saying his wife had collapsed and was being taken to hospital.

When Cosme arrived at hospital he found his wife conscious and talking. Her midwife had performed CPR and called for help when she collapsed.

She complained of a severe pain in her head so she was taken for a CT scan — but she collapsed again.

Doctors rushed her in to surgery and confirmed it was a brain aneurysm.

They put a drain in to remove some of the fluid from her head.

They operated again the next day but the injury was so severe there was nothing much they could do. She has been sedated ever since.

“She’s slowly deteriorat­ing. It’s only a miracle [ that will save her],” said Cosme through tears.

“I don’t know how I can raise these kids alone.”

Cosme said the children were the world to his wife, who worked as a nurse at North Shore Hospital.

She was much- loved by her coworkers who came to visit her in hospital every day, he said.

Cosme said he was amazed by the support being shown for him by the Filipino community, which had set up a Givealittl­e page for the family.

As of 5pm yesterday, just over $ 4000 had been raised for the family.

“Thank you to all the people that have helped me with the trials. I’m still asking for prayers that maybe they will give us the miracle for my wife,” he said.

“That’s all I want. Maybe the prayers can make a healing.”

All the funds donated on Givealittl­e would go towards covering the costs Arlene’s family is facing while she is in hospital and anything left would go to her three children — 10- year- old Gracee, 5- year- old Ayene and baby Grayan.

 ??  ?? Arlene Padawag- Cosme, left, is now in a coma, leaving husband Rayan Cosme, right, alone to raise their daughters Gracee, 10 ( centre), Ayene, 5 ( bottom) and Grayan Claire ( below).
Arlene Padawag- Cosme, left, is now in a coma, leaving husband Rayan Cosme, right, alone to raise their daughters Gracee, 10 ( centre), Ayene, 5 ( bottom) and Grayan Claire ( below).
 ??  ?? Grayan Claire Cosme was born on November 20. Four days later her mother suffered a brain aneurysm.
Grayan Claire Cosme was born on November 20. Four days later her mother suffered a brain aneurysm.

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