December 2014
Anne
Healy
,
RN
Birthing Center
St. John Hospital and Medical Center
Detroit
,
MI
United States
My daughter entered St. John Hospital to be induced with her first child. That morning, everything went wrong. My daughter was complaining of not feeling well and her symptoms rapidly changed from bad to worse within minutes. Anne Healy's quick judgment recognized that the baby's heart rate dropped fast. My daughter lost all color in her face and wasn't responding. Anne immediately called for an emergent status. My daughter was rushed to the ER for an emergency C-Section and within minutes the baby was born. What was supposed to be a routine C-section, was nothing of the sort.
The Doctor came out and told us we have a beautiful, healthy baby but my daughter was bleeding internally. No parent ever wants to hear the words "We are doing everything we can to save your daughter". My daughter had a very rare condition called a Ruptured Splenic Artery Aneurysm in Pregnancy. My daughter was cut from her breast bone down to her belly button and surgeons rapidly looked for the source of a massive internal bleed and found the splenic artery aneurysm bleed and removed her spleen. She was also cut from hip to hip from her C-section. She lost a large amount of blood, and was given several pints of additional blood.
Nurse Anne stayed with my daughter for the 4-hour operation. Doctors told us that she was in critical condition and would be on a ventilator for up to one and a half to two weeks and that she would have a very long road ahead of her. But instead my daughter surprised us all including the doctors. After spending 4 days on a ventilator, the ventilator was removed and on day 5 my daughter was finally able to meet, see and hold her beautiful baby for the first time.
There is no doubt in my mind that if Nurse Anne had not taken the time to check in on my daughter, that the scenario would have turned out much differently. Knowing that this type of aneurysm can be deadly in literally minutes, I know in my heart that it was Nurse Anne's professional training, care and compassion that saved her life and we will be forever grateful.
The Doctor came out and told us we have a beautiful, healthy baby but my daughter was bleeding internally. No parent ever wants to hear the words "We are doing everything we can to save your daughter". My daughter had a very rare condition called a Ruptured Splenic Artery Aneurysm in Pregnancy. My daughter was cut from her breast bone down to her belly button and surgeons rapidly looked for the source of a massive internal bleed and found the splenic artery aneurysm bleed and removed her spleen. She was also cut from hip to hip from her C-section. She lost a large amount of blood, and was given several pints of additional blood.
Nurse Anne stayed with my daughter for the 4-hour operation. Doctors told us that she was in critical condition and would be on a ventilator for up to one and a half to two weeks and that she would have a very long road ahead of her. But instead my daughter surprised us all including the doctors. After spending 4 days on a ventilator, the ventilator was removed and on day 5 my daughter was finally able to meet, see and hold her beautiful baby for the first time.
There is no doubt in my mind that if Nurse Anne had not taken the time to check in on my daughter, that the scenario would have turned out much differently. Knowing that this type of aneurysm can be deadly in literally minutes, I know in my heart that it was Nurse Anne's professional training, care and compassion that saved her life and we will be forever grateful.