The woman contracted a deadly infection and only miraculously survived.
Katie waiting for her third baby
Katie Hayes was 41 when she and her husband decided on their third child. Their eldest daughter was 16 at that time, and their son was 6 years old.
“We thought: why not? It will work out – well, it will not work out – okay, ”Katie said later.
Katie and Al, her husband, did it. Pregnancy proceeded normally: Katie was still not new to such matters, so she did not sacrifice her usual way of life. Almost until the very birth, she did yoga, but while her belly size allowed, she went for jogging – before Katie’s pregnancy she ran half marathons.
They decided to give birth at home – in the West this is a normal practice, and Katie was sure that she would cope with everything perfectly. On day X, a midwife came to the woman in labor to help her.
“It was terrible. My previous birth was much easier than this one. It hurt terribly, ”recalls Katie.
The midwife was not alerted by the pain, because everything is subjective. Moreover, in appearance everything was in order, Katie had a wonderful healthy girl, who was named Ariel. “Don’t be a rag,” the young mother snapped at the doctor.
After giving birth, the pain did not subside, although it should have subsided. A few days later, Katie’s husband took her to the hospital. She was immediately hospitalized with necrotizing fasciitis. During childbirth, Katie contracted a staphylococcal infection, which began to devour her body from the inside. Needless to say, if Katie had given birth in a hospital room, the chances of catching an infection would have been much less. Four days after giving birth, the young mother fell into a coma, and the young father was left alone with the newborn baby in his arms.
The doctors tried their best to save Katie. But the infection didn’t give up. The woman’s skin was peeling and flaking, her arms and legs turned black. An amputation was needed. Two weeks after the birth of his daughter, Al signed an agreement for the operation.
“I hope she will forgive me for this. I hope I can forgive myself, ”said the inconsolable man.
Katie amputated both arms above the elbow and both legs above the knee. In addition, the uterus and part of the large intestine were removed. But the woman’s condition still remained critically difficult. Doctors gave her no more than a five percent chance of survival. However, despite the gloomy predictions, two months later, Katie came out of her coma.
Over time, Katie was able to accept what happened. She understood that there was no other option: her husband, by his decision, practically saved her life. A life that has changed forever: there will be no more yoga, no half marathons, no massage therapist. It was necessary to learn to do everything from scratch anew.
Katie’s husband then said that she was a real heroine. She learned how to use prostheses and was put on the waiting list for hand transplants.
“I just want to wear my wedding ring again. I want to hug Al, ”she said. And he echoed his wife: “I can’t wait until she ruffles my hair again.”
But he didn’t wait. Seven years later, Al left the family. Katie does not hold a grudge against him, because in the most difficult time he was there, supported her as best he could. But she had to adapt again to her new life. She copes, even learned to drive again.
“It’s so cool – I can still do a lot. Despite the fact that I have lost so much, ”says Katie.