Texas Woman Dies 14 Years After Falling Into Coma While Pregnant

Heather Brown, a resident of Gladewater, Texas, died on September 18, 14 years after she fell into a coma at 34 weeks pregnant. She had never woken up from the coma she entered in 2012 following seizures brought on by an aneurysm. At the time of the medical emergency, her husband, Sean Brown, was serving in Afghanistan.

Sean rushed home when his wife fell into the coma. Their son, John, was born via emergency C-section on September 15, 2012, weighing four pounds and six ounces. Sean has remained by Heather's side throughout her illness, providing updates on her condition through the "Bringing Home the Browns" Facebook page.

Over the years, Sean shared milestones, including bringing Heather home in July 2013 and her speaking for the first time in nearly a year in September 2014. However, on September 18, he announced her passing. "Thank you all that supported and prayed for us during this journey," he wrote in a Facebook post.

Sean and Heather met on a blind date and quickly became a couple, marrying the following year. They had decided to start a family, though they had initially been told Heather was infertile, making her pregnancy a source of awe and shock. Even with a high blood pressure diagnosis during her pregnancy, Heather remained active.

By 2015, Heather could only move her fingers, blink to answer yes-or-no questions, and whisper a few words. Sean recalled that she had once spoken his and John's names, expressing his pain that she had missed so much of their lives, especially since her lifelong desire was to have a family and be a mother. A friend who set up their blind date described Heather as an exceptionally nurturing woman, making her inability to care for her son all the more heartbreaking.

A memorial service is scheduled for October 10.