Wife Passes Away Hours After Giving Birth, Then Husband’s Instinct Told Him To Check Her Blog

Matt Logelin and Liz Goodman both grew up in the Minnesota town of Minnetonka. Their lives would forever be linked after an impromptu meeting at a gas station that fueled the beginning of a fairytale love story. Both Liz and Matt were high school seniors when she approached him and mispronounced his name. No matter, though, the sparks instantly flew and the two were inseparable after that. That is, until it was time to go to college. As graduation rolled around, the picture-perfect high school sweethearts had to deal with the reality that they had enrolled in colleges in different parts of the country. Liz was going to study in California, while Matt chose to stay closer to home at the University of Minnesota.

The pair endured the distance, however, and maintained their connection by having a long-distance relationship. After graduating, Matt went to complete his master’s degree at Loyola University in Chicago. He was then contemplating the prospect of pursuing a Ph.D. when he made another life-changing decision. After all those years apart, Matt couldn’t stand to be away from Liz any longer, and he decided that life would be best if he was with her. Therefore, in 2005, he packed up his belongings and moved halfway across the country to be with his beloved in Los Angeles.

From there, the two took life by the horns. With life and love seemingly on their side, Liz and Matt traveled the world. Seeing that the pair loved to explore the globe and make new memories together, it was only fitting that Matt got down on one knee and proposed to Liz in Nepal. On August 13th, 2005, Matt and Liz pledged their eternal love to one another and wed, surrounded by friends and family. The newlyweds were ecstatic to start the rest of their lives together, and things seemed to be going great.

Professionally, the couple was making strides in California, with Matt as a project manager at Yahoo and Liz working as a financial executive at Disney. Personally, the Logelins were over the moon and had just taken the big step of buying a house together. But the happy developments didn’t end there. Two years had passed since Liz and Matt Logelin had married, and the young couple was hoping to expand their little family. The pair was elated when, in 2007, they discovered that Liz was pregnant with their first child. They couldn’t contain their excitement and were more than thrilled to share their joyous news with their near and dear.

The expectant couple excitedly prepared to welcome their little one into the world, but little did they know, an earth-shaking turn of events was looming around the corner. Seeing that their friends and family back in Minnesota couldn’t be around for every exciting step along the way, the soon-to-be parents started a pregnancy blog to keep their loved ones in the loop. There, they posted adorable photos and regular updates on Liz’s progress. One of Matt’s favorite photos of Liz was one in which the glowing future mother is seen pointing to her pregnant belly. The thrilled first-time parents had no idea, however, that in the months to come, that picture would become part of an unexpected widespread sensation.

The world seemed bright for the Logelins, but despite the joy of anticipating their growing family, Liz was having a difficult pregnancy. She was coping with severe morning sickness, and concerned doctors eventually ordered her to rest in bed for a few weeks. Meanwhile, Matt kept a watchful eye on his wife, who was usually very healthy and active. Liz, who typically enjoyed the outdoors and jogging, was then hospitalized for a couple more weeks of bed rest. Matt continued to update the couple’s pregnancy blog but never could have imagined the words he’d soon be writing.

It was seven weeks before Liz’s due date, and suddenly she was rushed to the delivery room. Seeing that her pregnancy was classified as high risk, the doctors weren’t taking any chances. Twice Liz was wheeled into the delivery room, and both times the baby changed its mind. Finally, it was actually time for the baby to have its entrance into the world. However, the baby was nearly two months premature, and Liz had to undergo an emergency c-section operation. On March 24, 2008, Matt and Liz Logelin’s lives changed forever.

After a successful surgery, the pair welcomed daughter Madeline, affectionately known as Maddie, into the world, weighing barely three pounds 14 ounces. The new parents were overjoyed, and Liz saw their beautiful baby girl briefly, but since she was born premature, the hospital staff hurried her off to the neonatal intensive care unit. Meanwhile, Matt took to the blog to announce the birth.

“Madeleine is here! The proud parents will continue to update everyone on our beautiful baby. Look forward to even better news.”

But no one was expecting the news that would follow. Liz couldn’t wait to hold her new daughter; however, doctors first ordered her to 24 more hours of bed rest. Once that time had passed, nurses prepped Liz to see the baby, who was healthy and alert. She was placed in a wheelchair, as new mothers are, and wheeled to the ward. Matt, who’d always wanted to have children, was there helping his wife as she took a practice walk around the room. It was a moment they had long been waiting for. Finally, the three of them would be able to have some much-needed bonding time.

But then tragedy struck. Matt caringly helped Liz into the wheelchair when suddenly she uttered:

“I feel light-headed.”

She collapsed in his arms. The nurses tried to calm Matt down and tell him that it was common among mothers to faint after an exhausting experience of giving birth. However, Matt felt that something wasn’t right with his dear wife. Doctors and nurses started rushing around, and as things got even more frenetic, he was ushered out of the room. Left alone, the new father would wait in apprehension, fearing the worst.

“Suddenly there’s this code blue, people rushing past me,” Matt painstakingly recalled. “All of a sudden it hit me, she was going to die today, here in this hospital, and she was never going to hold her baby.”

Only 27 hours after giving birth to Madeline, doctors determined that a deadly blood clot had traveled to Liz’s lung and caused a rare fatal pulmonary embolism that had tragically taken Liz’s life at just 30 years old. Devastated, Matt was left reeling. In just one day, Matt had gone from an ecstatic new father to a devastated widower. He had been expecting to fill the pregnancy blog with incredible pictures of a happy family, but instead, his next post was a heartbreaking one. Mere days before, Matt Logelin had written an elated birth announcement for Madeline. Although words were hard to find, he now found himself penning a heart-wrenching obituary for the love of his life.

“Five weeks ago things were perfect. On the same day, my world would fall apart.”

All of a sudden, Matt’s world was turned upside down. The 30-year-old simultaneously found himself to be a grief-stricken widower and an enamored new father. Additionally, he was floored by the thought of raising the newborn Maddie by himself. Although he was instantly smitten with the infant, he’d always imagined sharing the adventure of parenting alongside Liz. Left navigating the confusing onslaught of emotions, he had to cope with the despair of the untimely loss of his soulmate and the rapture of becoming a father.

In the haze of grief over losing his partner of the past 12 years without warning, Matt Logelin went to the one place where he could find comfort. Taking Madeline from the tearful nurses, he held his infant daughter for the first time, with the devastating knowledge that his late wife had never and would never hold her. The new father rushed to the hospital still in his suit to bottle feed his infant. Coping with grief and the reality of single fatherhood, Maddie was eventually released from the hospital.

“When I finally got to bring Madeleine home for the first time, I felt the house alive again.”

The first few weeks after Liz died had been agonizing for Matt. He couldn’t bring himself to remove her wedding ring from his pinky finger, and every Tuesday when the clock struck 3:11 PM, he was transported back to the fateful moment when his life was turned upside down. At times, the unbearable weight of the world seemed too much. It was hard to bear being at home with so many reminders of Liz surrounding him. However, when he went out with Madeline, he found himself comforting strangers who were overcome by his response to where the baby’s mother was.

“She passed away the day after the baby was born.”

Despite his crippling grief, Matt was emboldened by the thought that his daughter needed him and that a part of his wife lived on in her.

“The hardest thing about being myself after Liz died was just not having her around with me when she wasn’t here to share in the joys of having our brand new daughter with us.”

Overwhelmed by heartache, Matt knew he had to do his best to raise Maddie. Seeking a way to channel his intense feelings, he took to the internet. He started posting to an online parenting forum hosted by his hometown newspaper, the Minnesota Star Tribune. But that wasn’t all. He also refashioned his and Liz’s pregnancy blog into a personal parenting blog and found some solace in the writing process. The single father poured his heart out into the desperately needed outlet, and soon something unexpected happened. His honest writing helped Matt fight off the urges to let the grief consume him, and he was able to find some relief as a single parent and widower. He also sought out the support of other parents who related to and could provide support during the trying time.

Matt was determined to devote his time and energy to making Madeline happy and healthy, and even if her mom couldn’t be there, he made sure Maddie knew all about her.

“I have great memories of Liz, and I can tell her about all these things, but Maddie wasn’t the only one who would see it. Some minutes I’m extremely happy, and there are other minutes when I’m so down and I don’t know what to do. That’s what I try to convey through the blog.”

Before long, the blog transformed again into something broader that would have lasting effects on the small family. Matt thought the blog, which is now called “Matt, Liz and Madeline: Life and Death, All in a 27-Hour Period,” would be a meaningful virtual scrapbook for Madeline when she grew up. However, the forum also became a widespread internet phenomenon. Matt was receiving useful advice on how to deal with things like diaper rash and nasal aspirators. He had also created a place for other parents in similar situations to relate to one another. In addition, the forum was attracting tens of thousands of page views a day and about 1 million to 1.5 million visitors per month. But where would it take Matt?

The blog had produced something inspiring and incredible out of tragedy. It served as a cathartic outlet and also a place where the single father could get the type of advice from others that he had been desperately missing from Liz. Although it hadn’t been his intention, the single father started to get more than well wishes. Complete strangers were so touched by the story that they started to send in a variety of items to help ease the pressure of the situation and help a single dad focus on raising his child and dealing with his grief.

People sent in items he didn’t even know he needed. Along with toys, stuffed animals, and baby clothes, Matt received diaper bags, formula dividers, baby nail clippers, and hair clips after he wrote of his fear of not dressing Maddie the way Liz would have wanted. The Logelins soon received so many gifts that they filled the modest living room of their home.

“I never imagined that people would care about us the way they do.”

With the help of some of his avid readers, Matt eventually set up a charity organization in Liz’s name and did something incredible with it. Run by volunteers, the Liz Logelin Foundation organized fundraising events like 5K walks and runs in her memory. One event raised $4,400 that was intended to go to Matt and Maddie. However, Matt envisioned another way to honor his wife’s testament.

“Matt asked me if it was okay to give away all the money that had been raised for me and Madeleine to the widows and widowers he had met through his blog. They didn’t have the same network of support, and he wanted to help them,” recalled the foundation’s co-executive, Rachel Engebretson.

Part of the Liz Logelin Foundation’s activity includes the Celebration of Hope gala, held on the weekend closest to Liz Logelin’s birthday on September 17th. The gala features a number of auctions benefiting the foundation, as well as a traditional 5K walk and run held close to her home in Minnesota. The organization also holds an event called “5K Walk Run Hope Around the World,” in which people are encouraged to buy race packets and walk or run in their own hometown. All the profits from the activity go directly to the Liz Logelin Foundation. Such a heartfelt tribute considering Liz herself was a runner.

But the story doesn’t end there. As time passed, Matt Logelin was struck by how much his daughter Madeline resembled his late wife. He realized that his blogging had not only been vital for his survival but held a greater purpose.

“In many ways it’s a love letter to Madeleine and to Liz. Liz will never read it, of course. I want Madeleine to know that her dad didn’t just curl up in a ball and start drinking heavily. I want her to know I was out there doing as much as I could for her and trying to make her as happy as I could.”

Still, he didn’t intend to keep the blog active forever. Although Matt Logelin’s blog had become a rallying point for widows, widowers, and empathetic parents alike, he had initially planned the end of the project after a year. However, its popularity, cathartic effects, and purpose as a scrapbook for Maddie meant otherwise. Matt was blown away by the response to his blog and all the opportunities that it presented. Matt and Maddie were now also heavily invested in helping others in similar situations, but the two would soon start on a new path that would again change things in a big way.

Not long before Maddie’s first birthday, Matt was in his car driving when suddenly four numbers randomly popped into his head. As it turned out, those numbers were the pin number of Liz’s bank account, which he’d long forgotten about. Figuring that’s what Liz would have wanted, Matt decided to use the money found in the account to throw his little daughter a wonderful birthday party, which also marked the one-year anniversary of her mother’s tragic passing.

In 2009, Matt decided to take a leave from his job to pursue something unforgettable with Maddie by his side. The two traveled to India, where Matt wanted to take a couple of months to write a memoir. India was a location of particular significance, as Matt and Liz had traveled there a year after their wedding. Passing on his and his late wife’s passion for travel, Matt found the time in India with his toddler invaluable. Their two months there gave him the time and space to pen his memoir, “Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love.”

The book became an instant New York Times best seller, and there was more good fortune in store. When interviewed about his life as a single father, Matt Logelin remarked that though he’s getting praised for raising Maddie on his own and giving her the best life, he doesn’t feel like he’s doing anything differently from other parents. Matt originally chose to be a stay-at-home dad and to devote his time to raising Maddie, at least for the first few years of her life. However, he doesn’t feel like he gets so much praise for it; he’s just fulfilling his human instinct and taking care of his little girl.

The same year that Matt Logelin’s book about his first year as a widower and single dad was published, it seemed that love was in the cards again for Matt. He started dating Brooke Gullickson, who volunteered with the Liz Logelin Foundation. The two had met the previous year at one of the organization’s annual fundraiser runs. It would take another year until Matt asked Brooke out on a date. Around Thanksgiving, Brooke said she knew nearly instantly that Matt was the one, and she met Maddie by Christmas. Finally, things seemed to be looking up for the young widower.

When Brooke moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles to be with Matt and Maddie, he felt the need to post an explanation on his blog, underlining that he hadn’t replaced Liz.

“But even in the darkest moments there has been happiness, and with Brooke now in our lives, there’s even more happiness.”

While the couple had initially wanted to keep a low profile regarding their relationship, the word soon got out. However, not everyone was as enthusiastic. While most of Matt’s blog readers were supportive, others were more critical and accused him of having swept Liz under the carpet. After Matt introduced Brooke to daughter Maddie, it was clear to the couple that things were getting serious. However, Brooke made a point not to take Liz’s place and would talk to Maddie about her mother often. When asked whether Maddie calls her mom, Brooke replied:

“She simply calls her Brookie.”

The quick transition from single woman to full-fledged mother figure wasn’t easy for Brooke, especially the part where she had to install a car seat in her car. However, Brooke said she wouldn’t trade her relationship with the bright and sweet little girl for the world. When Brooke was asked about her relationship with widower Matt Logelin, she replied that she started reading books, including Joan Didion’s “The Year of Magical Thinking” and Matt’s own memoir, to gain perspective on how a person handles widowhood. She hoped it would help her get a better understanding of what her partner was going through.

But help arrived from less ordinary sources, too. One of the devoted readers of Matt’s blog, a woman who herself married to a widower, offered her advice and sympathy. The two women started talking and soon became close friends. But what became of Matt and Brooke? With the word out about their budding romance, Brooke conducted an interview with Parenting.com in which she opened up about her thoughts on being a replacement mom.

By the summer of 2013, things between Matt and Brooke fizzled. Matt then took to Facebook to confirm in a now-deleted post that the two had gone their separate ways. Although things didn’t work out with Brooke, life still had more surprises for Matt, and love wouldn’t be lost on him.

Back in 2012, the Lifetime network considered making a screen adaptation of Matt Logelin’s book, “Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love.” The plans to have writer Marta Kauffman at the forefront of the TV movie project, however, didn’t materialize. In 2016, word started to circulate that Channing Tatum was going to take on the bigger budget Hollywood film adaptation of the book. The popular actor is slated to serve as executive producer and might even star in the pending father-daughter drama.

So where does it all leave Matt and Maddie? After releasing his memoir, it was only a matter of time before Matt Logelin released another book. Luckily, things were a lot more cheerful this time. Logelin teamed up with his friend, creative director Sara Jensen, and together they authored the children’s book named “Be Glad Your Dad Is Not an Octopus.” The book was written after the two friends realized they share the same parenting style. It is a humorous G-rated version of the “would you rather” game, accompanied by adorable illustrations by Jared Chapman, and has been getting rave reviews.

But that’s not all Matt Logelin’s been working on. Although Matt has undoubtedly encountered his fair share of hardship and pain, the unexpected path that life has taken him on certainly provided a valuable learning experience and example for others on how to pick yourself up from a tragedy and make the most of what seems to be like an impossible situation. Matt has reflected that his late wife Liz used to be the more outgoing one, and he preferred to stay in the background. In light of everything, he has increasingly broken out of his shell as a guest speaker at multiple grief and widowhood summits and as a guest columnist for Glamour magazine.

And how is Maddie faring? Maddie Logelin turned 10 years old on March 24, 2018. That date also marked 10 years since the tragic passing of her mother, Liz. In spite of the tragic circumstances of her past, her father and extended family have done everything to surround her with love and happiness. Matt has made the details of his blog less intimate as Maddie has grown older.

“The minute Madeleine says stop, that plug gets pulled,” he also vowed.

Over the years, Maddie has grown to know her mother through stories and pictures and has become all the more inquisitive. As his daughter Maddie grew, Matt Logelin feared that growing up without a mother meant that there wasn’t enough female influence in her life. He addressed this issue in a heartfelt blog post following his daughter’s decision to cut her hair short. After receiving negative feedback for his daughter’s boyish new hairstyle, Matt pointed out all the strong female role models in his daughter’s life and thanked her for being the kind of kid who challenges perceptions. He then expressed how he encourages his daughter to make her own decisions and to ignore outdated gender norms. His only concern, he wrote in this inspiring post, is his daughter’s happiness.

Having basically grown up with the foundation named after her mother, it only made sense that little Maddie got involved in its activities as soon as she got old enough. She attends all the organization’s events with her father and has participated in several charity events. Maddie’s also tried to help raise money for people in need outside the foundation’s usual activity. After Hurricanes Harvey and Irma struck in 2017, the kind-hearted little girl started selling cookies to raise money for the survivors.

Among the Logelins’ many charitable activities, Matt also participated in a yearly weekend-long activity for widows and widowers named Camp Widow. Camp Widow is a program aimed to supply widowed people with much-needed tools and information, as well as support to help them slowly get back on their feet. In 2011, Matt became a presenter at the camp. He held a workshop for fellow widows and widowers in which he discussed the significance of revisiting places that were an important part of the couples’ lives, like when he came back to India with his daughter Maddie after Liz died.

An avid blogger and author, Matt Logelin isn’t afraid to voice his less than conventional opinions. One thing he objects to is Father’s Day. For him, Father’s Day was made up to sell greeting cards and ties and is hardly a big deal. Matt doesn’t have to wait until Father’s Day to spend quality time with his beloved little girl and to give her his full attention like many other fathers do. For him, it’s an everyday thing.

After his breakup with ex-girlfriend Brooke Gullickson, Matt took some time alone and things seemed to be quiet on the dating front. Not too long thereafter, however, rumors began to swirl about him dating Lizzie Molyneux, a writer for the animated series Bob’s Burgers. The rumors seemed to be confirmed when the two appeared together at a benefit comedy show for the Liz Logelin Foundation in the fall of 2016.

The couple wanted to keep quiet and deter gossip before announcing anything official. Nonetheless, inquisitive fans discovered something wonderful. Matt Logelin and Lizzie Molyneux had largely kept information about their relationship under wraps to protect their privacy and that of Maddie’s. However, fans looking for more details on the couple happened to come across something outstanding. The fans discovered a wedding website for Matt Logelin and Lizzie Molyneux. As it turns out, the hush-hush pair secretly wed in a nuptial ceremony in Palm Springs, California in February 2018. And while Matt Logelin might prefer to be discreet on his private life these days, his chronicles about Maddie have caught the eye of one particular A-lister.