A woman has welcomed her husband’s baby, 15 months after he died in a tragic accident. A few years ago, in 2020, Australian model Ellidy Pullin lost her partner Alex Chump after he drowned while spearfishing. He was just 32. Ellidy has since spoken about the devastating incident and how she gave birth to her and Alex’s “miracle child”. Speaking on a podcast, 31-year-old Ellidy told how she found out about postmortem sperm collection. It was a normal day, we woke up like any other day – the sun was shining, it was a beautiful day,” she recalls. Chump asked, “Should I go surfing or diving today?'”
Alex had set off spearfishing on the morning of July 8, 2020, while Ellidy was walking their dog Manny. Little did Ellidy know that would be the last time she would see her partner, however, as she later stumbled upon a Facebook post reporting that an unconscious body had been pulled out from the same spot where Alex lay. She had no idea the body in question could be her husband, but when it finally happened, the horrific reality finally dawned on her.
The former Winter Olympian had drowned after suffering a “shallow water blackout” while trying to hold his breath for too long.
“I saw him that morning – he’s the happiest, fittest person – and he just didn’t come home that day,” Ellidy recounted. Just hours after his death, Ellidy’s friends and family began discussing postmortem sperm retrieval, as the couple had previously “been trying to have a baby.”
Ellidy agreed to the procedure and began IVF treatment six months later. She went through two IVF treatments before giving birth to Minnie Alex Pullin in October 2021. ”She’s four months old now – and she looks like him. I’ll see him in their eyes,” Ellidy said in 2022.
She has since spoken out about the situation on her own podcast Darling, Shine!, explaining: “I mourn for Chump because he’s missing out on being a father. I see dads with their babies and I know how good he would have been.”
“Every day I go to the beach and I see guys walking along the beach with their girls and the guy’s got the baby in the carrier on his chest and the girl’s got the dog”, she added.
She also revealed that it blows her mind every time she sees a dad with a baby, adding: “I’m so happy for that person, this is not a pity party here.”