Woman Expecting Baby with Late Fiancé After He’s Killed Reporting News
NEED TO KNOW
- Casey Lyons previously shared her fertility journey after the unexpected death of her fiancé, Dylan Lyons
- Lyons was just 24 when he was killed while working as a journalist in Orlando, Fla.
- Casey previously spoke with PEOPLE about the dreams she and Dylan shared for their future and how a baby was central to them
The fiancée of a reporter killed by gunfire in an expected on-the-job tragedy is excited to welcome their baby after a long fertility journey.
Casey Lyons announced on Instagram on Thursday, Sept. 4, that her son, to be named Dylan Colby Lyons Jr. after his late father, is due in March 2026. She also confirmed the news to TV20, which reported that the couple’s embryo was implanted into a surrogate via IVF several months ago.
The bittersweet but joyous arrival will come just over three years after Dylan Lyons, a Spectrum News 13 reporter, was killed in February 2023 at age 24.
“The biggest miracle is coming March 2026! Dylan Colby Lyons Jr, I love you so much already!💙 your dad and I have dreamt about you for years and I know he sent you to me. I am so excited to be your mommy and see your daddy through your eyes,” Casey wrote in her announcement.
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Credit: courtesy of Casey Fite
Credit: courtesy of Casey Fite
Casey had previously crowdfunded her IVF journey, which later resulted in the mom-to-be pursuing welcoming their baby via surrogate. She shared a message to their surrogate as part of her post, writing, “Alex, this wouldn’t have been possible without you. You are so special to me and I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you are doing for me. I love you!”
Dylan was killed when a gunman opened fire on him and photojournalist Jesse Walden as they sat in their car in the Pine Hills neighborhood of Orlando, Fla., covering an earlier shooting.
In the aftermath of Dylan’s death, Casey spent time with his family. While in conversation with Dylan’s mom, with whom he shared a close relationship, she brought up the idea of trying to preserve her son’s sperm in hopes he and Casey could have the baby they’d already been dreaming of. They moved quickly, finding a doctor who was able to complete the process.
courtesy of Casey Fite
PEOPLE spoke with Casey in March 2023 as she prepared for the fertility journey.
“His mom and I both believe Dylan sent us that information, spiritually,” Casey shared. “Because Dylan would always say that he was going to die first, and I would always say, ‘You can’t leave me, we have to get married, we have children.’ And he said, ‘I promise, I’ll give you one child.’ So I think it was, in his own way, trying to fulfill that promise to me.”
Casey shared that she was adopting Dylan’s attitude that they would have a family, regardless of what it might take.
“Dylan, he always took care of me, his mom, his niece and nephew. We had talked about, ‘What if I have problems getting pregnant?’ And he promised we would keep trying, whether that meant IVF or a surrogate, we’d do that. He said he’d make it work,” Fite shared.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
