Kayleigh Summers, a psychotherapist, envisioned the day she would give birth to her son to be one of the happiest days of her life. However, what followed was a terrifying nightmare that she never saw coming. Reflecting on her experience, Summers shared the harrowing ordeal she endured when her heart stopped beating just before she was due to deliver her son, Callahan. It was a series of events involving quick thinking from medical professionals and a specific medical device that ultimately led to a miraculous outcome.
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Summers, a former Division I athlete, had a healthy and uneventful pregnancy until complications arose during a routine visit to her obstetrician. Concerns about gestational hypertension led doctors to induce her labor, a process that lasted for over two days due to her status as a first-time mother. Eventually, when Summers was ready to start pushing, she experienced a sudden health crisis. She recalls telling her husband and nurse that she felt unwell, only to realise moments later that she was in cardiopulmonary arrest, with her heart and breathing ceasing abruptly.
Medical staff sprang into action, calling a code blue and rushing Summers to the operating room for an emergency Caesarean section. Within six minutes of the code blue alert, her son Callahan was born unresponsive and required immediate resuscitation in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) due to his large size at birth – weighing 10 lbs., 14 oz. Meanwhile, doctors continued CPR on Summers during the C-section, where they detected signs of an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE), a rare and life-threatening obstetric complication with an unknown cause.
The situation escalated as Summers developed disseminated intravascular coagulopathy (DIC), a severe blood-clotting disorder. Her medical team swiftly implemented measures to address the complications, including a hysterectomy and a massive transfusion of over 140 units of blood. Despite their efforts, Summers suffered a second cardiac arrest, prompting a critical decision to transfer her to another hospital for ECMO, a life support system that functions as both the heart and lungs.
With limited options left, doctors opted to insert an Impella CP, the world’s smallest heart pump, to support Summers’ failing heart. Miraculously, Summers responded positively to the device, and within days she was able to come off all life support measures. Her recovery progressed rapidly, allowing her to reunite with her son in the NICU shortly after her ordeal. Despite enduring multiple surgeries and gruelling physical and emotional challenges during her hospital stay, Summers’ resilient spirit and the unwavering support of her medical team helped her overcome the traumatic experience.
Today, six years on from the life-threatening event, Summers has made a remarkable recovery with no long-term complications, crediting the Impella device for saving her life. She has channelled her experience into raising awareness about birth trauma and perinatal trauma, shedding light on the emotional impact these experiences can have on families. Through sharing her story, Summers hopes to provide solace and support to others who may have endured similar challenges during childbirth, emphasising the importance of acknowledging and addressing the emotional aftermath of traumatic birth experiences.
Summers’ journey serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the profound impact of timely medical interventions in the face of life-threatening obstetric complications. Her story is a reminder of the strength and courage exhibited by individuals in the face of adversity, inspiring hope and offering a message of perseverance in the face of unexpected challenges.