Devastated Kara Keough says she was 'begging God to save my baby' when her home birth went wrong and reveals son McCoy died six days later after suffering severe brain damage
- Kara chose to give birth at home with a midwife amid coronavirus fears
- Her son suffered a rare complication called shoulder dystocia
- He was resuscitated but had suffered severe brain damage, dying six days later
- Before his death on April 12, Kara, husband Kyle and daughter Decker spent time together with McCoy as a family of four
- The couple chose to donate their son's organs
- Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19
Kara Keough Bosworth has shared her devastating account of the loss of her son McCoy Casey at just six days of age.
In her first interview since McCoy passed on April 12, the former Real Housewives Of Orange County star explained that she delivered at home amid fears about the coronavirus epidemic, but suffered a rare complication when her 11lbs4 son got stuck in the birth canal.
Talking to Good Morning America, Kara said she was 'literally begging God to save my baby' as she fought 'a Herculean effort' for nine minutes to push out her son with the help of a licensed midwife.
Devastated Kara Bosworth says she was 'begging God to save my baby' when her home birth went wrong and reveals son McCoy died six days later after suffering severe brain damage
A mother's love: Kara and Kyle Bosworth cradle their son as they spend time with him before his death in hospital at six days of age
Beautiful baby: McCoy was perfect in every way
Having been induced with daughter Decker, Kara was 'pretty committed to an unmedicated birth to see what the female body is capable of'.
Coronavirus fears, and related restrictions which meant she would not being able to have her doula with her if she gave birth in hospital, also informed her decision.
The 31-year-old she went into labor naturally when her waters broke, a few days after her due date, and labored with her husband at her side, in a birthing pool.
But things went wrong when it came time to push, with McCoy getting stuck after his head was delivered, a condition known as shoulder dystocia.
Kara's midwife's assistant called 911 and help arrived nine minutes later, as McCoy was born.
Kara was the first to turn her son over, and having not discovered the sex during pregnancy, called out 'it's a boy'. But as it became clear the infant was not breathing, paramedics then took over, delivering chest compressions and transporting him to hospital.
Siblings: Decker Bosworth meets her newborn baby brother
Treasured portrait: Kara shared family pictures with her son
As the baby was taken away in the ambulance, Kara's former professional football player Kyle Bosworth following in his vehicle, while she remained at home to deliver the placenta.
After 45 minutes of resuscitation, McCoy's heart began beating.
Kyle shared: 'It seemed like an eternity. But he came back to fight, to see if he could live, and it was a miracle.'
Mourning: The couple want to share their story of child loss
Pandemic: Initially coronavirus restrictions meant only one parent at a time was allowed to be at McCoy's bedside, with Kara pumping while her husband was with their son
But doctors were blunt about his chances, calling them 'grim'.
They were telling us that they were trying to prevent further brain injury, but the baseline wasn't good,' Kyle explained. 'There was severe trauma.'
While shoulder dystocia is usually not fatal, in McCoy's case it caused his umbilical cord to be compressed, cutting off his oxygen supply and causing devastating brain damage.
Initially coronavirus restrictions meant only one parent at a time was allowed to be at McCoy's bedside, with Kara pumping while her husband was with their son.
However after it became clear that McCoy would not survive his birth injuries, the hospital allowed the family to be together, including four-year-old big sister Decker.
'She got to sing to him and play This Little Piggy on his fingers,' Bosworth recalled. 'She was very happy to tell the nurses his 'full big name,' as she called it.
Support: The couple are undergoing therapy while home in isolation together
Comfort: Decker is keeping her grieving parents going amid their loss
Kara says of her time with her son: 'We got some milestones we didn't think we'd get. We got to change his diaper.
'I got to get peed on, which is a boy-mom thing I didn't think I'd ever get. We got to hold him, we got to feel warmth in his body.'
Kara and Kyle chose to donate their son's organs.
A father's love: Kara and Kyle chose to donate their son's organs
Kara, whose pregnancy was a healthy one, had her last scan at 20 weeks, halfway through her confinement.
While this is in line with official guidance, women often opt to be scanned towards the end of their pregnancies - making Kara wonder if she would have acted differently had she known how big her son was.
'How do you hide an 11-pound baby?' she says. 'I will sit here and regret not getting [another ultrasound] for the rest of my life, because I'll think, 'Maybe we would've known. Maybe they would've seen that he had 7 1/2-inch shoulders.' But that's just going to be [in] my head.'
Now, the grieving parents are focusing on their daughter, who is helping them get through the days.
And the two want to make their son's short life meaningful.
Kyle explained: 'We had a strong son and he fought every second of his life. Now we've got to figure out how to make his life meaningful.'
Kara's father, former professional baseball player Matt Keough, died just weeks after a son from a pulmonary embolism at the age of 64.
'My son's spirit is somewhere with my father's spirit,' Kara said. 'They're together.'
In honor of their son, the grieving couple have launched a fundraiser for March of Dimes.
Kara is the daughter of Jeana Keough who was a housewife on RHOC from season one to five and continued to make friend or guest appearances on the Bravo show up until season 12.
Searching for meaning: McCoy's parents want to make their son's short life meaningful
