It was February 14, 2018 – Valentine’s Day – one year ago – when my husband and I went in for a scheduled induction for our first child. We celebrated with a romantic dinner before settling into our hospital room at Overland Park Regional Medical Center. We were over the moon excited, texting goofy selfies to our parents asking for guesses on the birth time. We were ready. We read the books, we had the supplies, and we took the classes. We were ready. But we were not ready for this.
Around 5 a.m., things went from a healthy, normal labor/induction to nearly fatal for both me and my unborn son. Out of nowhere, I went into cardiac arrest, the team started CPR and I was emergently taken to the operating room for a C-section and to revive my heart. It took 14 minutes before my heart started beating. During that time they also did CPR to revive my son. Afterward, I was taken to the ICU and my son to the Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Doctors quickly diagnosed me with a rare condition called Amniotic Fluid Embolism (AFE) which occurs in 1 in 40,000 births but is the leading cause of maternal mortality around the world, second in the United States.
The first three days were critical. Resuscitating me was just the first step in a long process of organ failure, blood loss and trauma to my body. I developed a bleeding disorder called DIC (disseminated intravascular coagulation) which caused me to bleed uncontrollably for nearly seven hours, and I required 109 units of blood. I had five surgeries to stop the bleeding and repair damage. I also had to be put on dialysis because of the damage to my kidneys caused by the cardiac arrest and massive blood loss. The blood and fluids caused me to gain 70 pounds in about 12 hours causing massive nerve damage to my abdomen, hands and feet.
My son, Sullivan, had to receive whole body cooling and required one unit of blood and was declared brain dead for the first few days of his life. He did not handle the cooling well and the choice was to take him off the table and risk permanent damage to his brain or keep him on the treatment and risk his life. Doctors decided to take him off the cooling treatment and things started to improve. Against all odds, he’s progressing normally and shows no signs of deficits, physically or mentally.
The doctors and nurses at Overland Park Regional Medical Center were perfect. The worst thing that has ever happened to us, happened there yet all I have are positive memories. Memories of people going out of their way to make me comfortable or to help my family as they grieved. Memories of nurses caring about the little details like helping me pump while unconscious and detangling and braiding my hair so I wouldn’t have to cut it off. Yes, they were intelligent. Yes, they were good at their jobs. But to us, they were family and they made the first month as a family of three a home inside a hospital.
These past 365 days have been the most challenging of my life. I went from a healthy, independent, soon-to-be new mom to a new mom who couldn’t take care of herself let alone her new baby or husband. I had to watch as my family and friends took care of my child and home while I relearned how to walk, built up strength & healed from surgery and nerve damage. I was humbled by my body attempting otherwise easy tasks like stairs or even making a bottle. I was embarrassed and terrified as my brain healed, wondering if I would ever be the person I used to be. I was frustrated and angry when nerve damage prevented me from holding my baby, walking more than a few hundred steps, and even opening jars or lifting plates.
Yet, here we are, a year later. The nerve damage is nearly healed, I have regained my strength, Sullivan is a happy, healthy, wonderful baby, my brain is working as well as any new mom’s brain does, and it’s hard to believe any of it even happened.
We didn’t have the beautiful birth we had dreamed about, but we still have beautiful memories. Alongside the amazing doctors and nurses was our family and friends. They rallied and supported us through the hardest moments of our lives and we are forever grateful. They packed up their belongings from L.A. and Austria and moved in to lend a hand in any way they could.
And my wonderful husband. I will always be in awe of him. He handled the whole situation with the strength no person should ever have to have and executed all plans exactly how I would have wanted them handled.
I don’t believe in miracles, I believe in science. And I’m thankful every day for the brilliant, compassionate, and dedicated people who surrounded me and my son. We wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for them. If you are moved by my story or are looking for ways to give back to the community, please give blood. I am hosting a blood drive at Overland Park Regional Medical Center on April 19 and would love for everyone to attend, but any donation to any blood bank would be a wonderful gift to someone in need.
HCA Midwest Health delivers more babies than any other hospital system in the Kansas City region. In fact, more than 6,000 moms from across 13 counties choose to deliver their babies with us each year. Our four birthing centers across Kansan City offer spacious maternity and birthing suites to gourmet meals to music playlists, we keep moms comfortable and relaxed while they await baby’s birth.
If your pregnancy is faced with a complication, The Maternal Fetal Health Center at the Overland Park Regional Medical Center can care for mom and baby all under one roof. The Center offers perinatoligists, a dedicated antepartum unit, a Level III NICU and pediatric specialists.
Learn more at hcamidwest.com/uniquedelivery.
By Meghan Jolliffe
I think of you with every blood donation I give. Thank you for sharing your story.
Meghan, I to had an AFE at Overland Park Regional almost 11 years ago. I had an emergency c-section when my AFE occurred and I went into DIC. I received blood products too. I now am a chairperson for blood drives at my son’s school. It would be neat to meet another person who lives locally that had an AFE. You may know this but in case you don’t there is an AFE Facebook group. Glad you’re doing well.
Denise J.