N.J. Cop's Wife Gave Gift Before Dying: A Baby

Her husband made sacrifices as a police officer. So when Danielle “Dani” Janofsky got sick, she made the ultimate sacrifice.

On Feb. 24, Dani, then six months pregnant, gave birth to a son. She wanted to make sure he lived.

Three days later, she died.

Now the New Jersey police community is remembering a woman who gave the gift of life before succumbing to a battle with cancer, leaving behind her husband, Max, a Monroe Township cop.

They're also asking for support for her son, Jake, who was born weighing just 1 pound 11 ounces. Friends have started a GoFundMe page, raising more than $16,000 in just a little more than two weeks.

"She made the selfless and loving decision to deliver baby Jake," read the GoFundMe page put together by Olivia Roberts, "thereby sacrificing herself so that her son could live."

Dani's battle went quickly, and very suddenly, even though she had experienced health scares before.

The couple had been married for five years and had a 4-year-old daughter, Avery, according to nj.com. They found out in September that they were expecting another baby.

Three years ago, Dani had a mole removed after it was determined to be melanoma, according to nj.com. Doctors gave a great prognosis, and Dani faithfully got routine checkups, her husband told the publication.

Then, on Feb. 8, she entered the hospital with abdominal pains, according to her GoFundMe page. It was quickly discovered that melanoma had spread to her liver, kidney, stomach, and finally, brain.

"Dani’s husband Max, a K9 police officer in Monroe Township, Gloucester County, was by her side every minute helping to ease her pain and remind her of how much love surrounds her and her family," according to the page.

Their son, Jake, is currently in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at the University of Pennsylvania, where he recently met his big sister.

Funds, meanwhile, are being raised so the family can "ensure the best medical care for Jake and additional funds will be used for education purposes for the children."

Along the way, the Janofsky family has attracted a legion of well-wishers who have taken to the GoFundMe page to cheer the family on.

"We wish we could hug each and everyone of you personally," wrote Judy Harty-Janofsky. "You are restoring our faith in this world!"

Max, meanwhile, told nj.com that the support the family's getting is a testament to the selfless life Dani lived.

"You know how people have hobbies? Hers was being a wife and a mother," Max, a retired U.S. Army staff sergeant who served several tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, told the publication. "It's what she loved to do."

Photo: GoFundMe