This is a love story that is both beautiful and heartbreaking in equal measure. They met, fell in love, and had a child, but Liz died during labor. What Matt did after she died was truly inspirational.
It all began when high school students Matt Logelin and Liz Goodman met at a petrol station one bright afternoon. They both grew up in Minnetonka, Minnesota, but when they met, it sparked the start of a true love tale.
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Liz and Matt were both high school seniors. When Matt grabbed her eye and she approached him, sparks flew and the two became inseparable… until it was time for college…
The high school sweethearts had to deal with the reality that they were enrolled in college in different regions of the country as graduation approached! Liz was on her way to California, while Matt remained at the University of Minnesota.
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The distance was nothing to this pair, who persevered and remained together throughout their studies. Matt went on to the Loyola University of Chicago to finish his master’s degree. While considering pursuing a Ph.D., he realized that he needed to follow his heart rather than his brain.
Matt knew he couldn’t take being so far away from his love any longer. He packed his belongings and relocated halfway across the country to Los Angeles in 2005 to be with Liz.
The two continued to live their lives to the fullest from then on. Liz and Matt journeyed around the world, making memories and exploring each other and the world around them, their love stronger than ever. It was only a matter of time until Matt understood this was it and proposed to Liz in Nepal on one knee.
On August 13, 2005, in front of their friends and family, they made their vows to love each other forever. It was a thrill to see these lovers seize life and their love by the horns… everything appears to be going swimmingly for the young pair.
Not only was their love life greater than ever, but they were also thriving professionally. Matt worked as a project manager at Yahoo! in California, while Liz worked as a finance executive at Disney. The two took advantage of their newfound financial stability by purchasing a home together. Things only improved from there.
When the couple chose to extend their family after two years of marriage in 2007, they were overjoyed to learn that Liz was expecting their first child!
The couple was overjoyed and notified their loved ones about their good fortune. The couple started making plans to welcome their new baby into their joyful household. They had no idea that their lives were going to be tested in ways they could never have imagined.
Many of Liz and Matt’s friends and relatives were still in Minnesota and couldn’t join them on their wonderful path to motherhood. The soon-to-be parents decided to do something about it and started a blog to keep their loved ones updated on Liz’s pregnancy progress.
Liz, the thrilled soon-to-be mother, is glowing and pointing to her swelling tummy in one of Matt’s favorite photos that they posted. They had no idea that the photograph would become part of a worldwide sensation in the months to come.
Liz had a difficult pregnancy, despite the fact that the path seemed bright and pleasant for the happy couple as they awaited their first child. She was suffering from terrible morning sickness, and the physicians recommended that she rest in bed for a few weeks.
Matt, the worried husband who was worried about his wife carrying his child, kept a careful eye on her. It was difficult to watch his normally energetic and healthy Liz confined to her bed. She was subsequently admitted to the hospital and placed on bed rest for a few more weeks. Throughout it all, Matt kept an eye on the pregnant blog that they had started. He had no idea what he would be posting on that very site in the near future.
Liz was wheeled to the delivery room twice since her pregnancy was categorized as high risk, both times at least 7 weeks early due to false alarms. The physicians didn’t want to take any chances, so they monitored her closely.
It was finally time for the baby to come into the world. Liz had to have an emergency C-section because she was still two months early. On March 24, 2008, Matt and Liz Logelin’s lives were about to alter dramatically.
The procedure went smoothly, and the couple welcomed Madeline (Maddy) Logelin into their family. She was only 3 lbs. 14 oz. when she was born. Liz got to view their gorgeous baby girl for a brief time since the new parents were overjoyed (photographed). Because she was delivered prematurely, the hospital staff rushed to rush her to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).
“The proud parents will continue to update everyone on our beautiful baby,” Matt wrote on their pregnancy blog to let family and friends know about the birth. “I’m looking forward to hearing more positive news this evening.” But no one was prepared for the bombshell that would come next.
Liz was unable to hold their daughter right away because she was remained on bed rest for another 24 hours after giving birth in order to monitor her. Liz was prepared and ready to see her healthy and awake baby girl once that had passed. She began to be taken to the ward in a wheelchair.
Matt was there to help his wife practice walking around the room before they walked to the ward, as he couldn’t wait to hold both of his women in his arms. It was about to be the moment they’d all been waiting for: mother-child bonding time. But then disaster struck.
When she said, “I feel light-headed,” and slumped in his arms, Matt carefully and lovingly assisted his wife into the wheelchair. The nurses tried to reassure Matt by telling him that it was usual for women to swoon after giving delivery.
But Matt sensed that something wasn’t quite right, that it was more than just a faint. Doctors and nurses began to react more quickly, racing about the room urgently. Matt was escorted out of the room at that point. He couldn’t control his panic when he was alone and felt more helpless than ever.
“All of a sudden, there’s this ‘code blue,’ and people are racing by me,” Matt recounted painstakingly. In 2011, he emotionally told The Guardian, “All of a sudden it hit me.” “She was going to die in this hospital today.” And she’d never be able to hold her child.”
Doctors discovered that a lethal clot had moved to Liz’s lungs and caused a rare, fatal pulmonary embolism only 27 hours after giving birth to their daughter Madeline, barely more than a day after giving birth to their daughter Madeline. Liz died of a lethal embolism when she was only 30-years-old, barely hours after giving birth to a child. A day after becoming a father, Matt was left a widow.
Matt went from feeling on top of the world to feeling like his life was over in only one day. He was heartbroken. He was supposed to be filling the pregnancy blog with photos of the new happy family, but his next article was all about sadness.
Matt was now tasked with breaking the news to his friends and relatives and posting a heartbreaking obituary for the love of his life, after an enthusiastic birth announcement days before. “Five weeks ago… everything was beautiful,” he lamented in a blog article titled “Liz.” “That same day, my world came crashing down around me.”
You can only understand the new father’s mixed and powerful emotions… His world was turned upside down when he found himself a weeping devastated widow and an enthralled new father at the same time. Not only that, but he was also confronted with the prospect of having to raise Maddy on his own.
Matt was in a haze of grief, coming to terms with the fact that he had lost his partner of 12 years. Faced with the prospect of going on the parenting journey alone, together with the grief of losing his soulmate, Matt could not see the light. His infant child was the only source of hope and comfort he could find. He took Madeline from the crying nurse and held her for the first time, knowing that his wife would never be able to hug their daughter.
The new father rushed back to the hospital after the funeral, still in his suite. When Madeline was released from the hospital, Matt reflected on his sadness and single parenthood, saying, “When I finally got to bring Madeline home for the first time, I felt the house alive again.”
Those first several weeks were the most agonizing Matt had ever known. He couldn’t bear taking off his wedding ring, and every Tuesday at exactly 3:11 p.m., his thoughts would go back to that fateful moment when his life changed forever. He wondered aloud how he would cope with his new world without Liz at his side at times.
Returning home presented its own set of difficulties. Everywhere Matt turned, there were bitter reminders of Liz. Even leaving the house was difficult; when visitors inquired about the baby’s mother, Matt would freely and honestly respond, “She passed away the day after the kid was born.”
The awareness that his infant daughter needed him and the conviction that a part of his beloved wife lived on in Madeline were the only sources of solace Matt found in those first moments as a widow. The worst part of being alone when Liz died was not having her around me, especially since she couldn’t share in the joys of having our brand-new daughter with us.”
Despite his heartbreak, Matt was determined to do his best when it came to raising his daughter. He’s looking for a means to convey his emotions and dread. He began contributing to an online parenting forum run by The Minnesota Star Tribune, his hometown newspaper. It didn’t end there, though.
Liz’s pregnant blog was also transformed into a personal parenting blog by him. He found peace in writing because he was able to pour his heart out and utilize words as a desperate form of solace for the overwhelming feelings he was experiencing.
Matt was able to keep the sadness from entirely devouring him as a parent and widow because of his honest writing. During this tough period, he also sought advice and assistance from other parents.
Matt was dedicated his time to keeping his little Madeline happy and sharing Liz’s memories with his daughter so that she might understand what a beautiful woman she was. “I have fond recollections of Liz, and I can tell her everything that has happened.” But Maddy wasn’t the only one who was subjected to these recollections.
“Sometimes I’m really joyful, and other times I’m so depressed that I don’t know what to do.” “I attempt to convey that through the blog,” he has stated. Soon after, the blog morphed into something larger, with long-term consequences for the little family.
Matt wasn’t sure what the blog would become, but he was considering turning it into a virtual scrapbook for Madeline as she grew up. “Matt, Liz, and Madeline: Life and Death in a 27-Hour Period,” he renamed the book. This forum, however, would soon become more than just a personal record for him and Maddy; it would also become a popular online phenomenon.
Matt was getting advice on anything Maddy-related, from dealing with diaper rash to how to use nasal aspirators. He’d also established a forum for other parents in similar situations to connect. Furthermore, the forum was receiving tens of thousands of page views every day and 1 million to 1.5 million monthly visitors. But what would that mean for Matt?
Out of something unimaginably awful, the blog became a source of comfort, hope, and inspiration. It was both a therapeutic outlet and a wealth of useful information from other parents. The internet community came together for something very heartfelt, in addition to vital messages of support.
While it was never his objective, Matt began to receive not only advice but also gifts from complete strangers who had been moved by his story. People sent Maddy a variety of useful items to help him cope with the stress of the circumstance and focus on raising his child and dealing with his bereavement.
He started getting things he didn’t even know he needed! You name it: stuffed animals, baby outfits, and toys. After writing about how worried he was that he wouldn’t be able to dress Madeline as Liz would have desired, he received diaper bags, baby formula, and hair clips.
The house was soon bursting at the seams with gifts. “I never expected people caring as much about us as they do,” he remarked. Matt finally put up a nonprofit foundation in Liz’s name with the help of some of his devoted followers to extend the love and support much further than he had imagined.
The Liz Logelin Foundation, which is run entirely by volunteers, held fundraising activities in her honor, such as 5-K walks and runs. Matt and Maddy were the recipients of $4,400 raised at one event. Matt, on the other hand, had a different concept about how to pay tribute to his wife’s memories.
“Matt asked if it was OK if he handed away all the money that had been raised for him and Madeline to the widows and widowers he had met through his blog,” Rachel Engebretson, co-executive director of the charity, recounted. “They didn’t have the same support system, so he wanted to assist them.”
The Liz Logelin Foundation organized various events, including the Celebration of Hope gala, which was held on the weekend closest to Liz’s birthday, September 17. There are a number of auctions that benefit the charity. They also do a traditional 5-kilometer walk/run in her birthplace of Minnesota.
The foundation holds the same 5K Walk/Run every year, however it takes place in different locations throughout the world. Individuals are invited to purchase race packets and walk or run in their local communities. The Liz Logelin Foundation receives 100% of the proceeds from this activity. Liz was a runner, so seeing these things come to life brings her great joy. The story, however, does not end there.
After some time had passed, Matt understood not only how much tiny Maddy resembled his late wife, but also how important the blog had been to his coping and survival. “It’s a love letter to Madeline and Liz in many respects,” he remarked.
“Of course, Liz will never read it, but I want Madeline to know that her father didn’t immediately curl up in a ball and begin binge drinking.” He told the Daily Mail, “I want her to know I was out there doing everything I could for her and trying to make her as happy as I could.” Nonetheless, he had no intention of keeping the blog active indefinitely.
Matt planned to shut down the blog after a year, but it had become a source of support and connection for so many widows, widowers, and sympathetic parents. Its immense popularity and overwhelmingly beneficial impact on so many people suggested otherwise.
Matt and Maddy were so taken aback by the huge response to their blog that they decided to devote their time and energy to assisting others in similar situations. However, the two would soon go on a new road that would drastically alter the landscape once more.
Matt was driving when four digits suddenly flashed into his thoughts just before Maddy’s first birthday. He has no recollection of what he was thinking about. Those were Liz’s bank account PIN numbers, he remembered. Yes, he has long forgotten about the account.
So Matt decided to throw his small daughter a big birthday party with the money he found in the account. Because it was not only Liz’s birthday, but also the one-year anniversary of her death.
Matt and Maddy’s lives changed in 2009 when he chose to leave his career and invest in a cathartic trip for him and his Maddy. They proceeded to India, where Matt was able to write a memoir in peace and quiet. Matt and Liz had visited to India a year after their wedding, so it was a special place for them.
Not only did he get to instill a love of travel in his infant daughter, which was precious to Liz, but the time away from the bustling city life was invaluable for the father and daughter to connect, and the two months gave him the chance to write his narrative, Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love.
The book quickly became a New York Times best-seller… However, the tide had only just begun to turn in the right direction.
Matt was once interviewed about his life as a single father and his narrative. He claimed he’s received a lot of accolades for raising Maddy on his own, but he doesn’t think he’s doing anything different than other parents.
Matt elected to be a stay-at-home parent and devote his attention to raising Maddy during the first few years of her life. He, on the other hand, does not believe it is unique. He believes he is only fulfilling his basic need to care for his daughter by being a father.
It appeared like love could be on the cards for him again the year his book on his first year as a widower and single father was published. He began dating Brooke Gulliksen, one of the Liz Logelin Foundation’s volunteers.
The two had met during one of the organization’s annual charity runs the previous year. Matt waited a year after they met before he felt ready to ask her out on a date. Brooke claimed she thought Matt was the one almost immediately, and she met Maddy by Christmas. Finally, the young widower’s situation appeared to be improving.
Brooke felt compelled to explain himself on his blog when he relocated from Minnesota to Los Angeles in order to be closer to Matt and Maddy. He felt compelled to be open and honest about his decisions because the forum had become like an online family to him. “But even in my darkest… periods there has been happiness, and with Brooke now in our lives, there is even more happiness,” he said, emphasizing that he hadn’t replaced Liz.
While the pair had hoped to keep their connection under wraps at first, information quickly spread. Not everyone, though, was as delighted. While the majority of Matt’s blog readers were supportive, others were harsher, accusing him of “sweeping Liz under the rug.”
After Brooke and Maddy met, it was evident that their relationship was taking a serious turn. Brooke made it plain from the start that she wasn’t trying to take Liz’s place as a mother, and she talked to Maddy about it frequently.
When questioned if Maddy refers to her mother as ‘Mom,’ Brooke said that she refers to her as ‘Brookie.’ Brooke admitted that the transition from single woman to mother-figure wasn’t easy, but she wouldn’t give her bond with Matt and Maddy for anything.
Brooke was asked about her life with widower Matt Logelin in an interview. She claimed she began reading about it and even read Matt’s autobiography. She wanted to get a sense of how someone deals with widowhood. She believed it would benefit her and Matt’s relationship.
Brooke received assistance from a variety of sources. One of Matt’s blog’s most ardent supporters, a woman who is also married to a widower, sent her some advise. The two women began to communicate frequently and became good friends. However, things between Matt and Brooke were not going so well.
They could no longer keep a low profile now that information had gotten out. Brooke had an interview with Parenting.com shortly afterward, in which she discussed her sentiments and views about becoming a “replacement mom.” Matt and Brooke’s relationship had withered by the summer of 2013.
Matt revealed the couple’s split on Facebook, but despite the fact that his relationship with Brooke didn’t work out, love was still on the cards for Matt.
Matt spent some time after Brooke to be alone and focus on Maddy and himself. However, not long after, allegations about him and Lizzie Molyneux, the writer for the animated series Bob’s Burger, began to circulate.
When the two performed together at a fundraiser comedy concert for The Liz Logelin Foundation in the fall of 2016, the allegations seemed to be true. The pair wished to remain anonymous in order to prevent rumors about their relationship from spreading. Inquisitive fans, on the other hand, did some digging and discovered something spectacular.
Matt learned the importance of keeping things private through his relationship with Brooke. For the sake of their daughter Madeline’s privacy, he and Lizzie Molyneux kept their relationship mainly hidden. Some fans, on the other hand, went sleuthing and discovered something incredible!
Matt and Lizzie’s wedding website was discovered by fans! Little did anybody know, this secretive couple had already taken their romance to a new level and secretly married in February 2018 in Palm Springs, California. Although Matt likes to keep his personal life quiet these days, his stories about Maddy have gained the attention of one A-lister.
In 2012, the Lifetime network contemplated adapting Matt Logline’s book Two Kisses for Maddy: A Memoir of Loss and Love for the screen. Martia Kauffman was supposed to be the movers and shakers behind the TV project, but it never materialized.
In 2016, there was speculation that Channing Tatum will star in a larger-budget Hollywood remake of the book. The well-known actor will serve as executive producer and maybe star in the upcoming father-daughter thriller. Where does this leave Matt and Maddy, though?
Matt has had his fair share of horrific misfortune, no one can deny that. But it is through this unexpected route of suffering, obstacles, and optimism that he has been able to understand and encourage others on how to pick themselves up after a catastrophe and make the best of what appears to be the worst scenario.
Liz was usually the more outgoing one, according to Matt, while he stayed in the background. In light of everything, he’s become more outgoing as a guest speaker at various bereavement and widowhood summits and a Glamour magazine guest columnist. But, after all of this, how is little Maddy doing?
Maddy Logelin celebrated her tenth birthday on March 24, 2018. That anniversary also marked ten years since her mother, Liz, died tragically. Regardless of her traumatic past, her father, family, and friends have done everything they can to surround her with love and happiness.
As Maddy has gotten older, Matt has made his blog’s details less personal. “It’s over the minute Madeline says stop.” He always promised, “The plug will be pulled.” Maddy has gotten to know her mother through stories and images over the years, and her curiosity has only grown.
“Daddy, did you hold my mommy’s hand when she died?” she innocently asked one day. She constantly asks her father questions about what he and her late mother used to do together, but one question, in particular, choked Matt up.
“What I said will never take away what happened that day,” Matt said, despite his best efforts to be open and explain things to his young daughter. When Matt reflected on the conversation, he revealed that Maddy knew exactly what he needed to hear and then said, “Daddy, I love you.” “I love you as well, Maddy,” he replied.
