A 44-year-old mom who was put in a medically-induced coma gave birth to triplets - Liliana, Isabella, and Charlotte Fitzgerald, seven weeks before her due date.
The night before she was due for delivery through c-section, she had a seizure, triggering a "Code Blue." ABC News reports that she was rushed to the operating room.
The difficult journey to motherhood
Leonie Fitzgerald, 47, has been battling infertility for six years. She admitted that she had a long, frustrating, and a little heartbreaking period with infertility. She had three rounds of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) and already had four miscarriages.
The couple spent about $100,000 on IVF, Chinese herbal medicine, acupuncture, a detox program, and specialists to get pregnant. So when they learned that they were expecting triplets, they were shocked.
Expecting a difficult pregnancy, Fitzgerald came prepared. After all, she was at a high-risk age for the pregnancy, had four miscarriages, and carried multiple babies.
The mom reduced the stressors in her life. As per Epoch Times, she quit her job to start her own company, slept more, walked up to 30 minutes daily, and put everything to faith.
Despite the preparation, her pregnancy was challenging. She shared that she had morning sickness from week seven. She was on bed rest for her entire pregnancy.
Four weeks before her scheduled caesarian operation, the expectant mom was admitted to the hospital for ten days due to pains around her ribs. She went home a day before her planned caesarian operation, but she had this gut feeling to check herself back in.
That evening, Leonie had a seizure while in the hospital. She was raced to the operating room to deliver the triplets. Doctors quickly transferred her to the Intensive Care Unit while she was sleeping.
A miracle
As per 7News, 21 minutes after her seizure, Leonie gave birth to the triplets. They were so tiny, with Liliana weighing 1.2 kg (2.6 lbs), Isabella at 1.6 kg (3.5 lbs), and Charlotte at 1.9 kg (4.2 lbs).
Per her obstetrician, Dr. Paul Conaghan, the mom and the triplets were "in a lot of trouble." The blood tests indicate that the seizure had starved the kids of oxygen. The doctor said she and her triplets might not have made it if she had not admitted herself that day. Fitzgerald was medically induced for 16 hours after she gave birth.
Her seizure was due to eclampsia, a "rare but serious" condition linked to high blood pressure during pregnancy. After almost two days, she was wheeled to the neonatal intensive care unit so she could see her babies for the first time.
The triplets were also in intensive care for 34 days and discharged without complications. As the twins are approaching their second year, Leonie started a page, @thebusinessoftriplets, to help others with fertility problems and support parents of multiple children.
