Preborn Baby Saves Mother from Gunshot

Harmonese Pleasant, expecting her first baby, was shot outside her home in New Orleans. Miraculously, both Pleasant and her baby girl, whom she named Blossom, survived the incident. The bullet struck Pleasant’s uterus, but Blossom’s presence saved her mother’s life.

Pleasant and her boyfriend, Kermit Ruffins, had recently celebrated their baby shower and eagerly anticipated Blossom’s arrival in three weeks. However, on March 24, 2022, Pleasant was outside her home talking on the phone when she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her abdomen. The sight of blood left her screaming in agony.

Pleasant managed to call her boyfriend, who rushed to her side from his nearby bar. Upon finding Pleasant lying on the ground, Ruffins was baffled by a small hole in her shirt and asked if she had fallen. It wasn’t until they reached the hospital that they discovered she had been shot.

Speaking to Fox 8 Live shortly after the incident, Ruffins recounted how Pleasant felt something hit her stomach without hearing a gunshot. A witness mentioned seeing a blue Malibu speed away after the shot, but the identity of the shooter remains unknown. Police suspect the gun may have accidentally discharged.

The bullet had struck Pleasant’s uterus and Blossom, but miraculously, Blossom’s presence saved Pleasant’s life. Ruffins explained, “Blossom basically blocked the bullet from wounding Harmonese more. She came into this world and saved her mom’s life.” Pleasant underwent an emergency C-section, and Blossom was immediately taken to the neonatal intensive care unit at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

Separated from her newborn, Pleasant met Blossom for the first time over FaceTime. Although grateful to see her baby, she longed for the skin-to-skin contact essential for mother-baby bonding. The emotional toll of the ordeal intensified when doctors informed her that Blossom wasn’t moving her legs as expected—a devastating blow.

While Pleasant made a full recovery, Blossom suffered a bullet fragment lodged in her kidney, damage to her spinal cord, an injured lung, and uncertain long-term effects. The fragment remains in her kidney, as doctors believe removal isn’t necessary.

Now at 13 months old, Blossom is showing progress. Ruffins wrote on Instagram celebrating her first birthday, “One year ago today my girlfriend, Harmonese, was nine months pregnant with Blossom was shot in the stomach and the bullet hit Blossom’s spinal cord, saving her mom’s life in the womb. Thank God they both survived. Doctors say Blossom is not going to be able walk, but miracles happen every day.”

In light of Blossom’s condition, the couple plans to construct a wheelchair-accessible home. They recently celebrated Blossom’s first birthday, they told Yahoo!, finding joy in her laughter and playful nature. Blossom’s favorite movie is “The Princess and the Frog,” a jazz-themed Disney musical set in New Orleans. Interestingly, while Ruffins playing his trumpet scares her, she jumps up and laughs when the trumpet-playing alligator appears in the film.

Ruffins aspires to teach Blossom about music, writing, and the pursuit of cultural knowledge. Despite the challenges they face, he remains optimistic, saying, “We have a long road ahead of us. It’s going to be a little rough, but we are so optimistic.”

Please join us in praying for Blossom and her family!

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