Cheslea Cheveria survived a life-threatening medical emergency after giving birth to her second child at Northwestern Medicine Prentice Women’s Hospital in Chicago, Ill., according to a May 10 statement. Following a successful cesarean section on February 10, Cheveria experienced blood clots in her lungs that led to cardiac arrest. Medical staff performed four rounds of CPR before she was stabilized with medication.
“There was no time for me to be scared,” said Cheveria. “I remember my husband saying, ‘you did it, I love you.’ Then I gave my daughter a kiss and it all went black.”
Cheveria’s condition required an emergency thrombectomy by Keith Benzuly, MD, an interventional cardiologist at Bluhm Cardiovascular Institute. A catheter procedure cleared the clots from her lungs and restored heart function. “This was a life-threatening emergency,” said Dr. Benzuly. “It’s really difficult when you’re taking care of someone who is that sick and their life is in your hands. I tried to focus on the technical aspects of the procedure, because I knew that this was the best chance for Chelsea to survive and for her baby to have a mother.”
Before this intervention could take place, doctors addressed severe uterine bleeding with an emergency artery embolization performed by Robert Lewandowski, MD. Daniel Schimmel, MD, director of the Pulmonary Embolism Response Team (PERT), coordinated treatment among multiple specialists: “When you think about the baby who might lose a mom, you are not just trying to save a patient, but you’re trying to protect a family,” said Dr. Schimmel.
Pulmonary embolism is one of the most common causes of pregnancy-related deaths in the United States; cesarean sections double this risk but such events remain rare according to Robbye McNair, MD: “Everything was routine...Chelsea had no risk factors...this was unfortunately random. I want to reassure patients that these are rare events, and most deliveries are uncomplicated.”
Cheveria spent five days recovering before returning home with her newborn daughter Zairah and family members Annayiah and Scott. She shared: “I now have a hematologist, a cardiologist, and a therapist,” Cheveria said with a smile. “And I already want another baby; I'm not afraid to go again. I just love being a mom.”
Northwestern Medicine functions under its parent organization Northwestern Memorial HealthCare and aims for world-class care through patient-focused missions including clinical care, education and research; it also recognizes community contributions through humanitarian awards reflecting compassion as well as national recognition for programs supporting physician well-being according to the official website.
