For Christine Aarsby, the birth of her daughter Addy had been planned as a joyous day for her and her family.
Aarsby gave birth at a rural hospital and, due to failure to progress in labour, doctors were forced to perform a C-section. Moments after Addie was born, the situation worsened. Aarsby suffered a rare complication, an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE), a situation in which amniotic fluid enters the mother’s blood stream.
Aarsby said she knew immediately something was wrong.
“I had this awful feeling, this impending sense of doom,” she said. “It started in the tips of my toes and washed over my entire body. I lost consciousness, had a suspected seizure, my heart rate rose, my blood pressure dropped, and I started to hemorrhage.”
Hospital staff immediately contacted STARS to take her to a major hospital where she could receive the advanced treatment she required. On the way to the hospital, STARS crew provided Aarsby with treatment and ensured that her vitals were as stable as possible.
“The team was incredible. Kellie Ann Vogelaar (STARS flight nurse) was giving me a massage the whole way, and Greg Barton (STARS flight paramedic) was keeping me stable, and they continued to tell me ETAs and kept holding my hand the whole way.”
Upon arrival at the hospital’s trauma centre, doctors found that her heart and kidneys had both failed. Aarsby had also lost half her blood and had fallen into respiratory distress. Fortunately, her medical team was able to stabilize her and repair the damage.
Today, mom and daughter are happy and healthy.
“When you’re in a life-and-death situation like that, every second counts,” said Aarsby. “And being able to have STARS get me there in the quickest time possible, it helped save my life.”
She and Addie had the opportunity to visit our base in Calgary, where they reconnected with Vogelaar and Barton.
“I’m so grateful to still be here, to be able to see Addy,” she smiled. “I got to see her first steps.”
