Anna Davey went into her 28-week antenatal appointment thinking it would be just a routine check.
But when doctors discovered Mrs Davey had a sudden onset of preeclampsia, a pregnancy complication that can be fatal, the Flagstone mum-to-be was forced to give birth three months early.
“Everything was actually fine until I had my 28 week appointment; everything was normal; blood pressure, tests everything, but I ended up in an ambulance about one or two the next morning,” Mrs Davey said.
“By three AM, I was admitted.”
Mrs Davey’s symptoms were so severe, her liver was failing and she had to be on seizure watch by doctors at Mater Hospital.
“My levels were through the roof, so suddenly I had two MET (medical emergency team) calls where about 15 doctors rushed to my bedside.
“I almost died”.
It was a terrifying time for Mrs Davey, who had to undergo an emergency Caesarean 12 weeks early and couldn’t hold her baby, Valentina, after she was born.
“She was rushed straight to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).”
“I didn’t even get to see her come out or anything and didn’t really get to see her until the next morning really.”
When she was just seven minutes old, baby Valentina needed emergency CPR, and after being stabilised, she was put on a ventilator and sent back up to the NICU for a total of three months.
After undergoing heart surgery at just 4 months old (4 weeks corrected) for her pulmonary stenosis of the heart valve, Mrs Davey and her husband Antony, could finally take their baby home, however, she had to remain on oxygen for two years.
Now, nearly four years on, with chronic lung disease, reactive airway disease and a weak immune system, baby Valentina continues to fight for her life.
“This year alone, she’s had about 16 or 17 sicknesses,” Mrs Davey said.
“In July, she almost lost her life to influenza, which caused pneumonia.
“Just two weeks ago, she was in the hospital on oxygen for just a common cold.”
For the first-time mum, one of the most difficult things since giving birth has been dealing with her mental health, and she now tells her story as a way of helping other families who might be going through a similar situation.
“You can’t help but feel lonely,” Mrs Davey said.
“You’re never going to be prepared … but at least if you know the raw feelings that I felt, you know that if you feel that, it’s normal.”
“And it helps me knowing what to look out for and I can also help others.”
Mrs Davey says she wants to shed a light on the challenges faced by families with premature babies and give hope to those in similar situations by walking in this year’s Walk for Prems– a fundraiser for the Life’s Little Treasures Foundation.
“I’m over that point where I can’t talk about it anymore. I’m glad I’m at that point because then I can talk about it to other people so that if they are going through this they’re not alone.
Next Sunday 23 October, the annual Walk for Prems will be held to raise awareness and funds for the 48,000 babies born sick or premature in Australia each year.
