First-time mum dies during childbirth but saves 'miracle' baby with final act

First-time mum dies during childbirth but saves 'miracle' baby with final act Chelsea McGillivray, 31, tragically died while giving birth to son Tommy following a 'textbook' pregnancy - but managed to hold on long enough to save the baby A first-time mum died during childbirth following a "textbook" pregnancy, leaving her family "heartbroken". "Amazing" Chelsea McGillivray, 31, from Rutherglen in South Lanarkshire, tragically died on August 24. Doctors tried "everything they could" to save her when her heart stopped during labour. Her family said it's a "miracle" that Chelsea's baby Tommy survived after she suffered a sudden unknown cardiac event, and that holding on for long enough to save her newborn son was "the last thing she could do for him". Long-term partner and Tommy's dad Jack Mitchell, 31, is now facing the challenge of raising the newborn without Chelsea by his side, but loved ones say "he's a natural" at parenthood. Chelsea's sister-in-law Lorna McGillivray, 33, described her as the "life and soul of every party", adding that she couldn't wait to become a mum. She has launched a GoFundMe to support Jack and Tommy - which raised nearly £50,000 in just one day. Lorna, who is married to Chelsea's brother Steven, told Glasgow Live: "I've never seen a mum that had everything so organised. As soon as she found out she was pregnant it was like she had found her purpose. "She was the best auntie to my two boys, so I know what kind of mum she would've been." Chelsea had shown no signs of any health problems during her pregnancy, Lorna says, and had been getting ready on the hospital ward at the Queen Elizabeth to give birth to baby Tommy when she "crashed suddenly". Lorna said: "She got to the labour suite at around 8.30am and Tommy was born at 8.39am. So all of this transpired in nine minutes. They [c-] sectioned her and got him out, and then they started CPR. They worked on her for hours, and they had consultants and specialists from all over the Queen Elizabeth and the Jubilee. "But they just couldn't get her back. She was here one minute talking away, and not the next." Lorna believes Chelsea "held on" so she could save her son Tommy in her last act before she passed. She said: "It's a miracle that Tommy's here. I've spoken to some doctors and consultants, and this happening alone is extremely rare, but for the baby to survive is even rarer. "I like to think her body held on long enough just to get him here safely. But obviously she never got to meet him. "All she wanted was her wee baby, and he's here and he's healthy. And that's the last thing she could do for him." Tommy was taken to the NICU and got home from the hospital on Wednesday, which Lorna said was "bittersweet". The grieving sister-in-law said the cause of Chelsea's death has not yet been confirmed, adding: "We know her heart stopped but we don't know why... She was completely healthy as far as everyone was concerned." As well as being the "life of the party", Lorna adds that "glamourous" Chelsea was a huge football fan who loved seeing Rangers play at Ibrox, and that she was very close with her parents and family. She added that Chelsea had "the most infectious laugh". After her sudden passing, Chelsea's loved ones have "rallied round" her partner Jack to help him navigate parenthood alone. Lorna said: "He's obviously grieving, but at the same time trying to learn how to be a dad. But he's a natural - he won't say that himself but he is. It's bittersweet. "But he's got a great support around him, and we're all there for him. "They planned this for nine months- he knows exactly what Chelsea would've wanted. "He's strong and he's really doing her proud." Lorna added of baby Tommy's future: "None of us will ever let him forget his mummy. She got him here safely, it was the last thing she could do for him. "He's our wee miracle and he's going to be absolutely spoiled rotten." To donate to Lorna's fundraiser to help support Jack and baby Tommy, click here.