A proposal immediately following childbirth has sparked debate after a father chose to propose just moments after his baby was born.
Typically, the initial moments after childbirth are filled with skin-to-skin bonding, tears of joy, and the overwhelming realization of a new chapter in life. However, for one couple in Illinois, these moments also marked the beginning of another significant change, one that has since been the subject of much online discussion.
Challis Bell and Denzel Kimbrough celebrated the birth of their first child, a son named Ace, earlier this month at Advocate Christ Medical Center.
Amidst the hustle and bustle of medical staff and the excitement of cameras capturing the post-delivery moments, Challis was unaware of the surprise that awaited her.
Shortly after, the nurses presented Challis with her newborn, who was clad in a tiny onesie.
The onesie bore the question: “Mommy, will you marry Daddy?” At that moment, Denzel proposed to Challis by getting down on one knee.
A video capturing this emotional scene, shared by the hospital, has since gone viral, showing Challis in pleasant surprise as she managed to respond with: “Oh my God, yes.”
The video quickly garnered massive attention, amassing hundreds of thousands of likes and sparking a wide range of opinions online.
Instagram users were quick to comment. One person remarked on Advocate Health’s account: “This is really sweet but — don’t propose to me after I’ve just done the hardest physical thing eveeeeerrr.”
Another user expressed discomfort: “I actually don’t like this. I think he should have let her have her first moments with her newborn… but instead he made it about him.”
Some comments took a more humorous tone. One individual quipped: “She still in the Laborland trying to understand what’s going on in the real world! Congrats to this beautiful family.”
Meanwhile, others defended the couple, arguing: “Our opinions don’t matter. We should just be happy for them and congratulate them. They’ve got a healthy baby, mom survived labor, and they just got engaged. It’s new beginnings for them.”
Denzel, 30, shared with Today: “It was kind of a random idea, honestly…We had talked about getting engaged before our son was born, and one day I thought, ‘What better place than the delivery room?’”
Despite the online critique, Denzel remains unfazed: “Everybody has their own opinion…Some people might say, ‘Oh, I would’ve proposed before,’ or ‘I would’ve just waited until after.’ But I just felt like it was the perfect opportunity for us.”
He further explained: “I wanted to make that day the best day of her life.”
For Challis, the proposal was indeed perfect. She expressed: “It was perfect…We can’t control other people’s opinions, but I’m definitely happy to see that we’ve gotten more congratulations, blessings, and positivity coming our way than negativity. Everybody’s different — we’re just focused on the love.”
While the timing of the proposal might not be ideal for everyone, it was just right for Challis and Denzel.