A woman whose husband died when she was six weeks pregnant with their miracle baby says she’ll always have a "piece of him."

Marketta Davis, 40, and husband Danny, 37, had just found out they were expecting after three years of trying and a miscarriage.

Two weeks after the news, Marketta came home to find Danny had collapsed in their home gym.

He had a sudden heart attack due to heart disease and Marketta was six weeks pregnant.

She later found out she was having a girl at her 12 week scan and gave birth to Danni - named after Danny, a technical sergeant in the US Air Force.

Marketta had her brother Joseph Barnes, 36, at her side during the birth.

She nearly died when she started to bleed out on the table but doctors were able to save her.

Marketta says Danni has her husbands eyes and nose and makes the same fist as he did – tucking her tiny thumb inside her hand instead of out.

Now three, Danni is "amazing" and is "goofy" just like her dad, she said."

Marketta, a journalist, from Tampa, Florida, said: "He had his music playing when I got home. It was very strange - normally he’d have diner going."

"I went upstairs to see what was going on and I tried to open the door but his foot was jamming it."

"I thought he had dozed off. I went to the other door and he was on the floor. I could tell he had passed."

"I was in shock. "

"I thought 'this can’t be real - I’m pregnant with our first child and this can’t be happening''."

"I thought there is no way I am going to hang onto this pregnancy with the stress and grief."

"I thought I’d lose the baby too."

"I’ll protect this little girl at all costs. It’s a big piece of him that I’ll always have."

Marketta and Danny met as high school sweethearts in 2000, tied the knot in August 2006, and decided to try and start a family in 2017.

But the couple struggled to conceive for three years before they found out Marketta had a uterine polyp – a growth attached to the inner wall of her uterus.

Following a surgery to remove it in April 2019 she fell pregnant in June but suffered a miscarriage at six weeks as she hadn’t healed enough from the operation, she said.

But a month later in July they were able to try again and were "excited" to get a positive pregnancy test."

Two weeks later, Marketta came home to find Danny had passed away in their home gym from a heart attack.

She said: "The paramedics said he’d has a massive heart attack out of nowhere."

"I remember walking into the house knowing he’s never going to walk in with me ever again."

Marketta had her friends and family fly in and out to "babysit" her during her pregnancy – while she dealt with the loss of her husband."

She said: "It was physically easy but mentally a war."

Marketta had a scheduled induction due to her age at 36 weeks but started having contractions three days before and was admitted to hospital as she wasn’t dilating fast enough.

After an induction, Danni’s heart rate dropped and doctors decided to take her for an emergency c-section.

Marketta said: "The doctors said 'we’ve got to make sure we get this baby out safely.'"

Danni was born on March 7 2020 at St Joseph’s Women’s Hospital, Tampa, Florida, via c-section at 11.40am, weighing 8lbs 9oz.

She said: "They lay her on my chest. I couldn’t believe she was there."

Suddenly Marketta started "lagging" and doctors realised she was bleeding out."

She said: "I thought I was going to die on that table."

"But I knew she was going to be taken care of."

Doctors managed to save Marketta and she was able to properly hold her daughter later that day.

Marketta said: "Holding her in my arms I kept thinking about the support he would have given me."

"She’s got his nose."

"My husband used to ball his hand into a fist and his thumb would be on the inside not the outside."

"My daughter does the exact same thing – even from birth."

"I’ll protect this little girl at all costs. It’s a big piece of him that I’ll always have."

Marketta had to navigate the first few months of being a new mum with the added "rollercoaster" of her grief."

Now she has become "stronger" and loves being a mum to Danni – who has a toy pillow of her dad with a voice recording of him."

She said: "It’s amazing watching her blossom."

"Her dad was goofy. I see a lot of that in her – it’s hilarious."

"This is my husband as a little girl."

"She’s so fun – reminds me of him so much. It’s bittersweet."

Marketta still struggles with the loss of her husband but has learnt to find a "new normal" with her daughter."

She said: "Whenever she reaches another milestone the grief comes back."

"It’s no easier but I’m stronger."

"It doesn’t mean your life has to end, you find a new normal."

"You’ll always be a widow. It doesn’t have to become who you are."

"Don’t fight the grief – let it happen."

"It’s proof I loved and it was real."