Mother's death brings new life

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) - A 26-year-old woman killed by a brain aneurysm, delivered twin boys at a Grand Rapids hospital.  

Twin boys, Alexander and Nicholas, were delivered by C-section several weeks after their mother, 26-year-old Christine Bolden, was declared brain dead.

Danielle Bolden described to 24 Hour News 8 what it was like to see her young, once vibrant niece, Christine, laying in a hospital bed as if she was asleep. While the whole time she knew Christine was brain dead. Dead, but still carrying two lives inside of her.

"It's hard," said Danielle. "Real hard."

Christine, the 26-year-old mother of two, was fine. She was funny and full of life, Danielle said, until March 6, 2012.

Danielle said Christine was walking out of a building last month, and suddenly got a horrible pain.

"I guess she had a pain in her head," said Danielle who recalls that her niece was with her boyfriend and 3-year-old son at the time.

Danielle was told Christine immediately fell to the ground and looked like she was in a deep sleep.

In an instant, family members told 24 Hour News 8, Christine was brain dead of two aneurysms. Danielle said it looks like Christine was born with them. She went on to say that the stress of being pregnant may have affected the aneurysms.

"We didn't think it was as bad as it was," said Danielle.

But family members soon found out that it was very serious, the doctors said Christine would never come back to them.

Christine's family members said they couldn't quite believe the diagnosis, especially when they knew they could see two lives still lived inside of Christine.

"It was a hurting feeling," said Danielle. "Going [to the hospital] seeing her laying there."

Danielle said the family started to grieve, while at the same time, hoping that the twins inside of her would somehow survive.

"We used to rub on her belly and talk to the babies," said Danielle.

It was an impossible mix of emotions.

"Knowing that once the babies were born that was the end of her," said Danielle.

After weeks on life support, Christine's grandmother, Donetta Bolden, told 24 Hour News 8 Christine's blood pressure was just too high, and it was time to try to save the twins.

But they hadn't yet given up hope Christine might return.

"Christine's grandmother told them not to numb her because maybe when they cut her [for the c-section] she would have felt that, and woke up saying, 'wait a minute I can feel that! What is you all doing to me!' But it didn't happen," said Danielle.

After only 25 weeks, Alexander and Nicholas entered the world.

Danielle said Nicholas weighed only one pound nine ounces, and Alexander weighed one pound five ounces; they were each only about six inches long.

As they said hello to the world for the first time, the world said goodbye to their mother for the last time.

The end of a life, and of the hope that Christine might somehow live again.

"God, he could have took her and the boys," said Danielle. "But he left the boys. That's a miracle."

Spectrum Health is not letting anyone in to see the twins because they are so fragile. They are currently in the neonatal intensive care unit. They are expected to remain in critical condition for weeks, if not months, as doctors work to help them gain weight and develop.

Bolden's family says there is an account set up at 5/3 Bank in Christine Bolden's name for anyone who would like to help out the family.