Texas Mom Miraculously Survives ‘Clinically Dead’ Moment During Triplets’ Birth
( Image: KHOU)
A Texas mother of four, Marisa Christie, is sharing her extraordinary story of survival after experiencing a rare and life-threatening complication during the birth of her triplets in August. Christie, 30, flatlined multiple times over a 45-minute period following delivery at Memorial Hermann The Woodlands Medical Center North in Houston.
“The doctors had pulled all three [babies] out. Actually, they were resting them on my stomach to do a delayed cord clamping,” Christie told the Today Show. “My arms flew up, and that was when my heart stopped.” Christie suffered an amniotic fluid embolism, a rare condition in which amniotic fluid or fetal material enters the mother’s bloodstream, often leading to catastrophic outcomes.
According to the Mayo Clinic, this condition has an 80-85% fatality rate. After delivering the babies, Christie lost consciousness and spent a week in a coma. When she awoke, she learned she had delivered three healthy baby girls but had no memory of the birth. “My husband was like, ‘Hey, so we had the babies. They’re healthy and great,’” Christie recounted.
“I was absolutely terrified … How could I not remember having my babies?” Her anesthesiologist, Dr. Ricardo Mora, was instrumental in recognizing the signs of the embolism. Mora explained he had seen a similar case 15 years ago. “She [was] essentially gray. I knew something terrible just occurred,” he said.
Christie’s maternal-fetal medicine physician, Dr. Amber Samuel, and Dr. Mora worked together to save her life. They placed her on an ECMO machine to support her heart and lungs after she suffered massive blood loss and had no pulse for 45 minutes. “She essentially lost what we consider her whole blood volume,” Mora explained.
Although doctors attempted to avoid a hysterectomy, severe hemorrhaging left no other option. Despite the ordeal, Christie and her triplets made remarkable recoveries. Nine weeks later, Christie returned home, and her babies were discharged shortly after.
Reflecting on her experience, Christie told Today, “I feel very disconnected to whoever [I] was before. I’ve gotten stronger, but I’ve also changed so much because going through a traumatic experience like that changes the way you view things.”
Grateful for her survival, Christie added, “There were so many miracles that led up to me living instead of dying.” A GoFundMe campaign organized by Christie’s brother has raised $22,545 of its $25,000 goal to help cover her medical expenses.
