miracle mom

A woman named Gina Walker is thanking her lucky stars and counting her blessings after surviving seven days in a coma and going through a whopping 35 gallons of blood after delivering her baby girl. (OMG. Thirty-five gallons?!) People are calling her the "miracle mom," and after reading about the close call she had, I'd say that's a very fitting title.

After initially being told she'd miscarried during her pregnancy, doctors finally realized that she had a very rare condition called placenta percreta. Her placenta had implanted into the lower part of her uterus and could have invaded her bladder. And while she safely delivered her baby girl via C-section, she started hemorrhaging immediately after she was born, and that's when the entire hospital (not to mention the community) sprang into action to save her life.

Perhaps one of the biggest reasons Gina was given the miracle of survival is because of the quick thinking of her husband, Dustin, before their daughter's birth. Considering that one in seven cases of placenta percreta results in death, it's a wonder that either one of them was able to think clearly before going to the hospital. I can remember being nervous and worried before giving birth -- and I had a completely normal pregnancy. I can't imagine just how scared this poor couple must have been, knowing their journey may not have a good outcome.

But Dustin wasn't taking any chances and reached out to friends of the family beforehand to make sure there was enough blood on hand if Gina should need it. They happily donated their own blood, of course, but went one step further and started passing the word around about Gina's condition. As a result, several blood drives were held all over the country to help her out. And when Dustin literally saw coolers of blood going past him in the hospital while Gina was fighting for her life, I'm sure he was so thankful that he wasn't afraid to speak up. It's amazing just how much people really do want to help, but sometimes you have to swallow your pride and be willing to ask.

And just as amazing as the community was in supporting the Walkers -- so were all of the doctors and nurses at the hospital that day. The entire staff rallied to make sure Gina would live to see the baby girl she'd gone to such great lengths to bring into the world. They were prepared for the worst when Gina went into the operating room, so they were able to start giving her blood transfusions immediately instead of having to scramble and figure out what to do.

Gina Walker truly is a miracle mom -- and it's so wonderful that she is alive and getting to enjoy every single milestone with her daughter, who is another little miracle in herself. I can't think of a better gift after her ordeal than being able to rock her baby in her arms!

You can hear more about Gina's amazing story in the video clip below.

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Have you ever heard of placenta percreta or have you known anyone who has had it?

 

Image via MSNBC