A new dad who proposed just minutes after his girlfriend gave birth has sparked a fierce debate online about whether or not it was an appropriate moment to get down on one knee.
Illinois-based couple Challis Bell and Denzel Kimbrough welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named Ace, earlier this month.
But when Kimbrough decided to use the newborn to propose to Bell moments after his birth, it caused a divide on social media.
Kimbrough had the nurses dress the baby into a onesie that said, ‘Mommy, will you marry Daddy?’ before giving him to Bell.
A now-viral clip shared by Advocate Christ Medical Center showed the nurses handing Ace dressed in the onesie to the new mom, as Kimbrough got down onto one knee and pulled out a ring.
A shocked Challis laid with her mouth wide open in surprise for a few moments before she said, “Oh my God yes.’
‘Moments after the birth of her first son at Advocate Christ Medical Center, Challis received a joyful surprise – a marriage proposal, printed on her baby’s onesie,’ read the caption.
‘Challis and Denzel first met more than a decade ago while they were in high school at Mother McAuley and Marist high schools, but they lost touch when Denzel’s family moved.
A new dad who proposed just minutes after his girlfriend gave birth has sparked a fierce debate online about whether or not it was an appropriate moment to get down on one knee
Illinois-based couple Challis Bell and Denzel Kimbrough welcomed their first child together, a baby boy named Ace, earlier this month
‘Three years ago, mutual friends put the couple back in touch and they fell in love, eventually preparing for the birth of their son, Ace.
‘With some help from the nurses, baby Ace quickly got into his first outfit just after being born, a onesie that said, “Mommy, will you marry Daddy?”
‘The couple said they’re grateful for the team at Christ not only for the excellent labor and delivery care, but for helping with the surprise engagement. Congratulations!’
The video went viral, and while many viewers were in awe of the sweet moment, some claimed Kimbrough didn’t choose the best moment to propose.
‘This is *really* sweet but don’t propose to me after I’ve just done the hardest physical thing ever,’ one user wrote in the comment section.
‘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. Idk, just not sitting well with me,’ agreed another.
‘For me, I enjoyed having two separate special moments. These are two very different milestones,’ pointed out someone else.
‘I’m happy for them. But I know he could’ve chosen a much better time to propose,’ read a fourth comment.
Kimbrough had the nurses dress the baby into a onesie that said, ‘Mommy, will you marry Daddy?’ before giving him to Bell
A shocked Challis laid with her mouth wide open in surprise for a few moments before she said, “Oh my God yes’
A fifth said, ‘As a mother of four, that is the worst time to propose.’
‘Yeah sorry but no. Do men even have an idea how we feel after delivery? Not to mention we are swollen, sweaty, often medicated. That ring won’t even fit in the finger,’ a different user penned.
Some went as far as calling it a ‘red flag’ and accused Kimbrough of trying to ‘make himself the center of attention.’
While chatting with Today about it, the new father, 30, explained, ‘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?”‘
He also addressed the online criticism, explaining, ‘Everybody has their own opinion. I just felt like it was the perfect opportunity for us. I wanted to make that day the best day of her life.’
Bell described the moment as ‘perfect,’ adding: ‘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.’
