“RIP Alia.” When Caleb Plant fought Vincent Feigenbutz five years ago, it wasn’t just another title defense. It was also the boxer expressing all the pain, losses, and sacrifices he’s made to keep standing in the ring. And more importantly, it was the promise he’d made to Alia Jean Plant, the boxer’s first daughter, who left him at just nineteen months old.
Right after Sweethands held the IBF super middleweight title for the first time after an upset victory over Jose Uzcategui, he took the belt to Alia’s little grave. He’d promised her that he would. Plant met Alia when he was just a twenty-year-old boy, figuring life out. On May 7 twelve years ago, he held the tiny hands of his “Punkin” [as he loves to call her] after his partner at the time, Carman, birthed a baby girl after a twenty-three-hour labor.
At first, everything appeared normal, allowing Plant to leave for a boxing tournament, unaware of the severity of what was to come.
What did Caleb Plant’s daughter, Alia Plant, suffer from?
Although Alia appeared healthy, three days later, doctors diagnosed her with a severe but unknown medical condition that caused brain abnormalities and frequent seizures. The seizures could go up to 150 or more per day, which explained the criticality of the newborn’s condition. She lacked motor skills and required a feeding tube to take up the required nutrition, unable to do that on her own. What was worse, she would need to rely on eight medications twice a day, plus weekly doctor appointments.
Throughout her nineteen-month life, Alia faced heart-wrenching medical challenges. Her seizures would exceed 100-200 per day. She wouldn’t be able to sit up, hold her head, or grasp objects. She would require a feeding tube, heart monitor, oxygen support, and frequent hospital stays. Overall, it was just a painful sight for her parents. Carman quit her job to take care of her full-time, while Plant would balance his career with hospital visits. Alia underwent fifty thousand tests at Vanderbilt Children’s Hospital!
Regardless, no cure could be found when the time for Plant and Carman to bid their daughter a farewell knocked at their doorstep.
Plant’s final moments with his daughter
Following Plant’s fifth professional fight against Daryl Gardener, Alia’s condition got worse. She developed a respiratory infection that had progressed to pneumonia. Her health continued to decline even after being put on life support multiple times. Seeing the pain she would’ve grown up into, Plant and Carmen made the toughest decision of their lives—turning off life support. It was January 29, 2015, 10:55 a.m. when Alia Jean Plant passed away at 19 months old.
“If you’re tired of this and you’re done, you don’t wanna do this anymore, then your daddy supports you and I’m gonna be right here,” Plant told Alia, in what must have felt like a stone weighing on his heart. The caring father asked the medical staff to remove her tubes and wires so she could see clearly for one last time. Alia took her last breath in her mother’s arms, while Plant stood beside her. Eventually, her leaving strained Carman and Plant’s relationship, ending their partnership. A day after Alia’s demise, Plant posted his feelings in an Instagram post, captioning it with a long, heartfelt message.
Now it has been twelve years since Plant held Alia in his arms for the first time. And to this day, he cannot let her go in his heart. He must only be happy to be blessed with another daughter, just as cute, in the form of Charly, his first child with wife Jordan Plant. Plant and Jordan are also expecting a son soon. Yet, Alia would always be on Plant’s mind.
Caleb Plant and daughter Charly Plant visiting Alia Plant’s grave.
Sharing on her twelfth birthday, Plant captioned his Instagram post, “Happy birthday Alia. 12 years old today, it’s crazy how time flys. Nothing in the world could replace my love for you Punkin. I’m proud to be your daddy. I know you’re running around laughing, playing and eating too much cake. Enjoy it today princess, it’s your day. Daddy’s always in your corner little soldier .”
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