Rhianna Benson
When Australian model Ellidy Pullin was informed back in 2020 that her beloved partner Alex Chump had tragically died in a freak spearfishing accident, she was faced with an impossible decision.
Being that the 32-year-old and Alex had been 'trying for a baby' in the months prior to his shock passing, she was offered the opportunity to undergo a post-mortem sperm retrieval, which would allow her to become pregnant with his child, despite him having died.
Immediately, Ellidy accepted, and she says it's the best decision she ever made, dubbing her and Alex's child a 'miracle'.
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Recalling the incident which stole the life of her beloved partner, she told listeners of the Good Mourning podcast: "It was just a normal day, we woke up like any other day - the sun was shining, it was a beautiful day.
"Chump was like 'Do I go for a surf today or do I go for a dive today?'''
Having opted to instead go spearfishing that fateful day (8 July 2020), Alex ventured off to the beach, whilst Ellidy went for a walk with their pet dog, Manny.
Little did she know, however, that in kissing her partner goodbye, she'd sealed the last ever moment she'd see him alive.
Within a few hours of her walk, 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 Alex, 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**king 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.