A Colorado mother died earlier this month after choosing to save her unborn son’s life rather than her own.
Doctors are calling 7-pound, 4-ounce Declan Bugal a miracle, after his mother Karisa Bugal, 34, died November 3 giving him life.
Bugal suffered from a rare condition called amniotic fluid embolism, according to a report by WTSP-News, when the amniotic fluid surrounding the child or part of the child’s skin or hair gets into the mother’s bloodstream, causing catastrophic shutdown of her organs.
The first sign of trouble was when Declan’s heart rate dropped during labor. Bugal opted for the fastest way to save him, a C-section, immediately going under anesthesia.
“Her other option would have been to stay awake for her surgery,” Dr. Kelly Gerow told the news station. “But by the time we would have put in a spinal tap or something, it's possible Declan would not have made it.”
Experts say between 1 and 12 mothers in every 100,000 deliveries have amniotic fluid embolism, the report stated, and Gerow said the condition is so rare that it hasn't been widely studied.
Mothers who develop the illness often don’t make it.
Medical staff in Aurora said Bugal knew her decision would be critical, and she chose to save her son, her final decision.
“Around 7:30 a.m. is when they came in and rushed her back to the delivery room for an emergency C-section,” said Bugal’s husband Wes Bugal. “That was about the last time I saw her.”
Gerow said Bugal inquired after the delivery about her baby, asking about his weight, before passing away.
Wes Bugal struggled with expressing his thoughts on the challenge of life ahead with a toddler, a newborn, and the loss of his wife, the day before their eighth anniversary.
“How do I explain to him that his mom is gone giving birth to him? I think about that all the time,” Wes Bugal said. “How do I explain when he asks where's mommy?”
A GoFundMe page established for Bugals can be accessed here.