A Mother Loses Her Limbs After Giving Birth but Finds Solace in Her Baby’s Love
As an expectant mother, you’re constantly warned about the risks that come with childbirth. But until it happens to you, the fear never really hits home. This happened to Krystina Pacheco, a Texas native who underwent a C-section to welcome her daughter Amelia. Little did she know, her recovery would not be as easy as she thought.
She was thrilled at the idea of welcoming her baby girl.
Krystina Pacheco is a brave and resilient mother from Texas and has recently welcomed her daughter Amelia into the world. Her heart was filled with love at the thought of finally holding her little bundle of joy in her arms and taking her home to join her husband and son. Unfortunately, life had other plans for her.
Despite a seemingly uneventful C-section delivery, she would soon face a life-threatening ordeal that would test her strength and courage. Pacheco’s harrowing experience after giving birth is a stark case of how quickly things can take a turn for the worse.
Just 2 days after being discharged from the hospital, Krystina Pacheco continued to feel unwell even after taking her medication. She was experiencing fever, vomiting, and shortness of breath during her recovery from delivery. The new mom felt frustrated and worried but ultimately decided to seek medical attention.
Upon visiting the doctor, she was swiftly rushed to the emergency room and later airlifted to another hospital because of her deteriorating condition. It was determined that she was suffering from septic shock, a life-threatening condition where the body responds aggressively to an infection. The medical team sprang into action, knowing that time was of the essence to save her life.
The overwhelming fear of not being able to see her babies anymore
As the septic shock took hold, Krystina’s health continued to deteriorate, and the condition began to have a severe impact on her heart, lungs, and kidneys. Her family, especially her loving husband Jacob, was understandably distraught and deeply concerned. “They didn’t want to tell us how close she was to death, but you could see it in their faces every time I asked.”
He further added that the doctors had given her a mere 20% chance of survival, which was a daunting realization for him. “It was a scary experience for our family,” he said, remembering the anxiety and uncertainty they faced during those trying times. “It was scary.”
Meanwhile, Krystina Pacheco’s last memory before slipping into unconsciousness was her husband’s urgent plea whispered into her ear. “My husband, I could just hear him saying, ’Please come back to us, please, your babies need you. I need you. I need you to be here and help me with our babies,’ and that’s the last thing I remember.”
During her hospitalization, Jacob had the added responsibility of caring for their newborn daughter and young son. He relied on the support of his family and friends to navigate this trying time, and their constant presence gave him the hope he needed to persevere through the uncertainty of Krystina’s condition. He says, “It was, living just day by day, just trying to take care of Krystina.”
However, Krystina Pacheco spent the first 2 weeks in the intensive care unit receiving the right treatment. In mid-November, her condition improved, and doctors removed her breathing tube, allowing her to speak again. This was a significant turning point for Krystina and her family, giving them a glimmer of hope that she would eventually recover from her illness.
“The first thing she said to me was, ’What happened to me? Did I almost die?’” Jacob recalls. “And we had a moment of tears — tears of sadness, tears of joy, just a bunch of emotions coming over us.”
Putting her family first
Krystina Pacheco woke up from the medically induced coma only to receive the devastating news that her hands and feet would have to be amputated due to the harm caused by her treatment in the intensive care unit. It was a challenging obstacle she considers to be the toughest in her life.
She recalled, “My hands and feet were black,” describing the severity of her situation. She acknowledged that her medical team had done everything they could to prevent the need for amputation, but the damage was irreversible. Pacheco emotionally shared how she “was just breaking down and feeling absolutely crushed.”
Her journey has been very long, as she endured a series of surgeries after her amputations. “Every day I woke up and thought about my babies, and every time I went into surgery, my thought was, I have to get home to be with my babies, so if that means going through one more surgery, then ultimately I have to go through another surgery,” she said. “They were my number one motivation.”
Despite the challenges, Pacheco persevered with unwavering strength. Currently, she is working out at home to rebuild her physical strength, and will soon begin outpatient rehabilitation to increase her independence in daily tasks. “It’s a roller coaster. I’m not going to say I don’t have my bad days, because I do,” she said.
Although settling back into home life has brought new challenges for Pacheco, she remains grateful for the ability to care for not only her children but also herself. These small achievements are significant to her and keep her motivated as she takes life one day at a time. “It’s not easy, and it’s not going to be easy, [...] but if we’re sticking together, it makes it that much better.”