Dad-to-be is shattered after losing legal battle with hospital to keep his pregnant girlfriend on life support to save their unborn baby after a car crash which killed her eldest daughter

• Khayla Reno and her daughters were involved in a fatal crash in NSW on May 16
• She was pregnant at the time and her partner Jamie Millard fought to save baby
• The foetus was not old enough for hospital to save its life after Ms Reno’s death 
• Family and doctors wanted to turn off life support, so Mr Millard took it to court
• His court bid was turned down on Thursday, so he lashed out at Ms Reno’s family 

The boyfriend of a pregnant woman who believed keeping her on life support after a horror car crash could save their unborn baby girl has lost a court battle with her family.

Khayla Reno and her two daughters were involved in an accident at Tumut, in New South Wales, on May 16 after she reportedly veered into an oncoming truck.

The 29-year-old’s daughter Eryka, 10, was killed instantly, while four-year-old Violet is in a stable condition at Westmead Children’s Hospital.

Ms Reno, who was 19 weeks pregnant, was rushed to Canberra Hospital in a critical condition, but four days after the crash she was declared ‘life extinct’ and doctors moved to turn off her life support.

While her family agreed with the decision, Ms Reno’s boyfriend Jamie Damian Millard did not, and made a last minute bid to save their unborn baby by taking the matter to the ACT Supreme Court.

Expectant mother Khayla Reno (pictured) was in fatal crash in NSW, on May 16. Her boyfriend Jamie Millard fought for her body to be kept on life support in the hope their foetus could  still be born, but Ms Reno’s family won a court battle to turn off the medical machines on Thursday

Mr Millard (pictured) claimed he had been dating Ms Reno for 18 months and that she would want to try and save her baby. But Ms Reno’s family fought his efforts and told Daily Mail Australia they believed the pair had only been together since January this year

After having his case dismissed by the court and Ms Reno’s life support being turned off Mr Millard lashed out at her family, claiming they had sent his child ‘to death row’.

‘My unborn baby is now on death row. I cannot do anything to stop the hospital committing this crime against this poor defenceless baby,’ he told The Daily Telegraph outside court. 

‘I now go to my final one-hour visit feeling like a condemned man proceeding to an execution.’ 

Just hours after the matter was finalised in court, the machines keeping Ms Reno’s alive were turned off.

Mr Millard and Ms Reno announced their pregnancy online on May 8, just one week before the accident. 

They had decided to keep the gender a surprise.

Not content with his comments outside court Mr Millard hit out at Ms Reno’s family in a Facebook post in the early hours of Friday, saying they ‘were never there for her’.

‘I hope you’re happy, Khayla would be so disappointed in you for turning off her machine and killing our baby,’ he said.

‘This whole time all you gave a s**t about was what was good for you and not her all cared about was taking her organs from the time.

Ms Reno and her 10-year-old daughter, Eryka (pictured), died in the crash while four-year-old Violet is fighting for her life in Westmead Hospital 

Mr Millard hit out at Ms Reno’s family in a Facebook post in the early hours of Friday, saying they ‘were never there for her’

‘My unborn baby is now on death row. I cannot do anything to stop the hospital committing this crime against this poor defenceless baby,’ Mr Millard said outside the ACT Supreme Court this week, after the decision was handed down

‘I hope one day you can feel the pain I’m feeling. You should have just stayed out of it. You were never around, only until now.’

In response, Ms Reno’s family said: ‘The loss of three family members is an unbearable tragedy our family is struggling to cope with,’

‘We are grieving the loss of Khayla, her 10-year-old daughter Eryka, as well as Khayla’s unborn baby. The family would have done anything to save Khayla, Eryka and Khayla’s unborn baby, however this was just not medically possible.

‘Every decision we have had to make has been based on what we believe were Khayla’s wishes.

Ms Reno’s family believe she would have wanted her organs to be donated and have rallied behind the hospital 

‘We are disappointed that she has not been able to donate her organs, but take strength in the six lives that Eryka has saved through her organ donation. This tragedy has highlighted to us the importance of making your family aware of your wishes around organ donation.’ 

Prior to Thursday’s farwell visit, court documents revealed the hospital had not allowed Mr Millard in to see the mother of his unborn child. 

He had been provided ‘an opportunity to visit and say goodbye’ by the hospital, but only on the provision he gave permission to donate Ms Reno’s organs.

He refused, claiming his decision was based on her Aboriginal heritage. 

But Ms Reno’s father – her mother has been deceased for more than two decades – said she had never expressed any concerns about donating her organs and in fact would have wanted to do so. 

A foetus is considered viable from 23 weeks in ACT, and the court ruled they could not overturn the hospital’s decision to terminate Ms Reno’s life. 

ACT Supreme Court Chief Justice Helen Murrell said it was regrettable Mr Millard felt ‘so alienated in the decision-making process.’

‘The hospital chose to communicate primarily with other members of Ms Reno’s family,’ Chief Justice Murrell said.

A GoFundMe has been set up to help support Ms Reno’s surviving daughter.

Source: Read Full Article