The pair had gone through IVF fertility treatment in a desperate attempt to conceive to complete their family.
But the last time Mr Morales saw his wife was when he kissed her on the head before going into labor at seven months at Banner Good Samaritan Hospital.
“We were so excited to start our family,” Carlos, 29, who works in manufacturing in Phoenix, Arizona, says. “And then it all came crashing down.”
All four babies, three girls, one boy, were safely delivered. But Erica went into hypovolemic shock, an emergency condition where one experiences a severe amount of blood loss. She died before she even had a chance to hold her newborns in her arms.
In a heartbreaking interview with People Magazine, Morales described the first time he met his wife
Carlos and Erica met at a nightclub in Scottsdale, Arizona, in 2006.
‘I didn’t speak any English and she didn’t speak any Spanish,’, laughing. ‘But I asked her to dance and she said yes.’
He knew right away he wanted to marry her.
They got married in Las Vegas in 2007, and started trying for a baby right away.
They went through a miscarriage, but were happy when they found out the had four babies on the way after undergoing fertility treatment.
“We couldn’t have been more excited to finally have a baby,” he says. “Erica was taking such good care of herself.”
“Her doctor told her she had to just relax,” Carlos says. “So that’s exactly what she did.”
“The doctor said she was having too many contractions so it was time to deliver the babies,” Carlos says. “We took pictures before she went into the delivery room, made some videos, and she was surrounded by family and friends. I said to her, ‘Let’s get these babies out.’ ”
About 24 people including doctors, nurses, family and friends were in the delivery room when the babies were born. Each weighed from two to three lbs. For Carlos, it was the moment of a lifetime.
“I forgot about how expensive it was going to be to raise four kids or how hard it might be,” he says. “Seeing Erica and the babies healthy is all I could think about. I was just so excited for our future.”
Suddenly, around 1 a.m., Carlos heard equipment alarms going off and saw nurses rushing into the room. The medical team asked him to leave while they worked on Erica.
An hour later, they told him she was gone. He heard their words but couldn’t understand.
“How could this have happened?” he asked, something that still haunts him today. “She was fine, and then she wasn’t. She was alive and then she was just gone.”
Morale also told the magazine he’s trying so hard to cope after his wife’s death ‘I’m learning everything from how to give them a bath, CPR, feeding, and how to manage their sleep schedule. I need to be prepared.’
When he was looking on his wife’s iPad, he found a note she had written which described how she wanted her children to go to college, speak both Spanish and English, and get good jobs.
Since Mrs Morales’ death, family, friends and strangers have started a group to support the widower, who faces bringing the children up on his own.
“Everything I do now is for my children,” Carlos, who will return to work, tells PEOPLE. “Our family and friends have been very supportive too.”
