Woman has partner's baby 15 months after he died in tragic accident
Australian model, Ellidy Pullin, opened up about her 'miracle' child
Rhiannon Ingle
A woman has opened up welcoming her partner's baby 15 months after he died in a tragic accident.
A few years back in 2020, Australian model Ellidy Pullin sadly lost her partner, Alex Chump, after he drowned whilst spearfishing aged just 32.
Ellidy has since opened up about the devastating incident and how she gave birth to her and Alex's 'miracle' child.
Speaking on the Good Mourning podcast in 2022, 31-year-old Ellidy discussed how she found out about a procedure called post-mortem sperm retrieval.
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''It was just a normal day, we woke up like any other day - the sun was shining, it was a beautiful day," she recalled. "Chump was like 'Do I go for a surf today or do I go for a dive today?'''
Alex had left in the morning of 8 July 2020 to go spearfishing while Ellidy walked their dog, Manny.
Ellidy, however, didn't know that this would be the last time she'd ever see her partner as she later stumbled upon a Facebook post reporting that an unconscious body had been pulled out around the same spot Alex was at.
She had no idea the body in question could ever be her partner but when it finally kicked in, the horrible reality finally dawned on her.
The former Winter Olympics athlete had drowned after suffering a 'shallow-water blackout' when trying to hold his breath for too long.
"I saw him that morning - he's the happiest, fittest person - and he just never came home that day," Ellidy shared.
Just a matter of hours after his death, Ellidy's friends and family started discussing post-mortem sperm retrieval as the couple had previously been 'trying for a baby'.
Health.com explains: "To perform the retrieval, a surgeon or urologist may conduct an epididymal aspiration (extraction of sperm with a needle through the skin), a testicular biopsy, or a complete removal of the testicles.
"Once the sperm is extracted, it can be frozen and stored the same way fertility clinics freeze a living donor's semen."
The process, also referred to as PSR, is legal in the UK yet it is subject to a number of conditions including the donor providing written consent to the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) before the procedure can take place.
So, 12 hours later, Ellidy agreed to go through with the process and started the IVF course six months after.
She went through two rounds of IVF before giving birth to Minnie Alex Pullin in October 2021.
''She's now four months - and she looks like him. [...] I'm gonna see him in her eyes," Ellidy said back in 2022.
She has since opened up about the situation in her own podcast, Darling, Shine!, explaining: "My grief is for Chump, he’s missing out on being a dad. I see dads with their babies knowing how good he would have been.
"Every day I go to the beach and I see guys walking along the beach with their chicks and the guy is carrying the baby in the carrier on his chest and the girl’s got the dog."
She also revealed that every time she sees a dad with a baby it 'f*cking kills' her, adding: "I am so happy for that person, it’s not a pity party here."
''We were so lucky that his sperm was still alive, it was happy and healthy. Everything just aligned and I think Chump was just guiding it - I think it was all meant to be.''
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence, contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677.