Comatose woman gives birth to baby boy

Brian Lande and his newborn son.BRIAN LANDE

A comatose California woman gave birth by caesarean section to a baby boy on Thursday, the Fresno Bee reported.

Melissa Carleton has been struggling to regain full consciousness for over two months while in the care of the University of California at San Francisco.  A marriage and family therapist from Fresno, 39-year-old Carleton was enjoying her first pregnancy and preparing for motherhood when she began having headaches. Medical testing eventually revealed that she had a benign brain tumor.

Carleton was scheduled to have surgery to remove the tumor, but a seizure the night before her operation led to significant brain damage. The doctors were ultimately able to perform the brain surgery, but she hasn’t been fully awake since, though she is able to sometimes open her eyes.

Carleton’s baby, West Nathaniel Lande, was born full term and is healthy, according to Carleton’s husband, Brian Lande.  

“I can’t wait for her to wake up and move her hands and touch him,” he told the Fresno Bee.

Lande believes his wife knows that she’s a mother.

“She did wake up a little bit when he came in the room and first cried," he said. "And Melissa and baby were face-to-face, and her eyes were open."