KALAMAZOO, MI — It should be one of the happiest days of her life, but a first time mom is now mourning the deaths of her fiancé and her mother.
The two were killed in a car crash while traveling to the hospital to welcome the new baby.
Crystal Matrau-Belt gave birth to her son Jeremiah at 8:03 Saturday night. She told WOODTV, “I don’t want to let him out of my sight, like I have, I just want him here.”
Crystal says that he was delivered early by c-section after high blood pressure kept her in the hospital on Friday.
The baby’s father, Emil Skokan III, was home with his future mother-in-law, Peggy Nichols.
“That was our plan, is he was going to just stay at home, get things ready, because we didn’t know it would be right then and there.” Said Crystal.
Crystal called to tell them on Saturday that it was time, and says her fiancé last words to her was saying that he loved her and he was on his way.
Emil lost control of the car on the way to the hospital, hitting a tree. The two died four hours before Jeremiah was born.
Crystal was recovering from surgery when her family told her the news.
Now she says she’s torn between joy and grief, “It’s a hard balance that I’ve been trying to- that’s what keeps me going, just him.”
Friends have started a GoFundMe account to help her and her son.
