We struggled with infertility for three years before finally becoming pregnant through IVF. Virginia absolutely loved being pregnant, and in July of 2022, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl. The moment we laid eyes on her--in the midst of an unplanned c-section--we knew her name was Grace. Virginia got to meet her for just a few brief moments before chaos ensued. Doctors and nurses were rushing around, shouting commands at one another as they worked furiously to maintain Virginia's vital signs. We heard someone call a “code hemorrhage” on the overhead, and the doctor told us, "we can't control Virginia's bleeding, so we're taking her back into the OR."  

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The next several hours were grueling for Michael--first, not knowing if Virginia would survive; then, once stabilized, not knowing what condition she would be in. Early the next morning, the two of us reunited in the trauma ICU–we had never been happier to see each other! Virginia was still attached to a breathing tube and ventilator, but it was clear at that point that she was going to be OK.​

 

Thankfully, through all this, little Gracie was healthy and thriving, spared from the life-threatening complications of her delivery. Almost 24 hours after Gracie was born, once Virginia could breathe on her own again, she got to hold Gracie for the first time. Our new family of three was the happiest you’d ever seen! 

 

Shortly after, we learned exactly how grave the situation had been. Virginia had developed uterine atony, where the uterus fails to contract after delivering a baby, as well as placenta accreta, where the placenta (the organ that supplies blood and nutrients to the fetus) "invades" the uterus. These both cause PROFUSE bleeding. The “code hemorrhage” triggered the immediate dispatch of two trauma teams, consisting of multiple surgeons and specialists. They worked skillfully and quickly to try to stop the bleeding. Ultimately, the only way to stop the bleeding was to remove her uterus–which they did. By that time, she had lost her entire blood volume. She was so fortunate to be at a trauma center with its own blood bank, which managed to replenish her blood supply. 

 

As a result of all the complications, Virginia’s hospital stay was longer than usual. She kept finding herself frustrated that she wasn’t healing and progressing as quickly as she thought she should. The wonderful hospital staff kept telling us, “Give yourselves grace!” Little did they know how apt that word choice was! We repeated that mantra to ourselves as we worked through the immediate shock of the near-death experience and subsequent emergency hysterectomy. We have so much to be thankful for. We are forever indebted to the amazing doctors who literally saved Virginia’s life. We are infatuated with our amazing baby Gracie, who brings us more joy than we ever thought possible! Life is good.