Fresno County family grieving after mom’s tragic death gets moment of ‘big joy’ for Christmas
Adrian Ortiz fought back tears looking over a mountain of gifts his family received Wednesday morning thanks to the help of Community Regional Medical Center staffers.
The outpouring of compassion was a welcome relief for his family a month after tragedy stuck when Ortiz’s wife, and mother of five, died after giving birth due to pre-existing health complications.
The idea to help the grieving family came from the department of Women and Newborn Health, where Ortiz’s late wife, Cristina Ortiz Corchado, gave birth to a baby girl in late November. The hospital staff decided to “adopt” the family and buy them gifts for Christmas.
“We knew this was a special situation,” said Sarah Putman, director of women and newborn health at CRMC.
Putman said that the staff was “so excited” to help the family given the “unusual” and difficult circumstances.
“Even though we knew we couldn’t take the grief away, we could help maybe with the burden of facing a holiday season without a mother,” said Putman.
Father of five says the gifts are ‘very important’
Ortiz Corchado was rushed to the hospital in late November with high blood pressure due to a rare medical condition. The pregnant mother was in such a fragile state that she couldn’t answer basic questions, said Putman.
Doctors performed an emergency Cesarean section on Ortiz Corchado to save her baby. The mother of five was then taken to the intensive care unit, where staff nurses brought the newborn girl to visit and be with her mother, who remained unconscious.
“We were thankful to save the baby but, unfortunately, the bleed in her brain was too advanced,” said Putman in an interview with The Bee on Wednesday.
Hospital staffers reached out to their colleagues, peers, family and friends, and collected gifts for the widowed father and his five children: three daughters — ages 22, 10, and the now month-old infant — as well as two boys, ages 10 and 12.
The result was an outpouring of gifts and support for the Ortiz family.
On Wednesday morning, hospital staff helped Ortiz load a truck-bed full of gifts, including gifts cards for Food 4 Less and Target, a television, scooters for all the kids, diapers, clothing, a Hoverboard, and more.
“The gifts are very important and it’s a big joy for my family,” said Ortiz, a 49-year-old Kerman-based farmworker originally from Toluca, Mexico. “Me llena mucho,” said Ortiz. “It fills me (with a lot of emotion).”
The family also created a GoFundMe page to help cover funeral expenses.
Mother’s death ‘hit us hard’
Ortiz’s brother and next door-neighbor, Gregorio Ortiz, 52, came out on Wednesday to support his brother and help him transport the gifts.
“Nos pegó duro,” said Gregorio Ortiz of his sister-in-law’s passing. “It hit us hard.”
It’s been difficult to see his nieces and nephews asking for their mom, said Gregorio Ortiz, who said he is supporting his brother during this time just as he hopes his brother would support his family in this type of tragedy.
The family will have a Christmas dinner “so that the kids don’t feel alone,” said Gregorio Ortiz. He said he hopes that the hospital’s gifts and holiday celebration will help distract the kids from their mom’s passing, even if momentarily.
Gregorio said he reminds his brother that his children, especially one of his daughters, looks just like the mom. “I tell him, ‘Here she is, she didn’t leave (us).’”
Adrian Ortiz said that his kids and his faith in God give him hope, as well as the support he’s received from the hospital staff.
“They have helped me a lot — the nurses, doctors, and social workers,” said Ortiz. “More than anything, I have felt supported.”
This story was originally published December 22, 2021 at 2:38 PM.
