Shaare Zedek doctors deliver baby while simultaneously saving mum from a stroke

This patient has chosen to remain anonymous and will be referred to as ‘A’.

In the ninth month of her pregnancy, during a workshop that she was facilitating, 38-year-old ‘A’ from Jerusalem suffered a stroke and was rushed to Shaare Zedek Medical Centre.

Suddenly, ‘A’ couldn’t speak properly, she couldn’t get the words out of her mouth and she knew something wasn’t right. Thankfully one of the participants of her workshop knew what she was witnessing. She recognised all the signs from having seen her father experience a stroke, so immediately called an ambulance. Within minutes, a team of seven doctors were working on a plan to save ‘A’s’ life whilst preparing for a Caesarean section to ensure the safe delivery of her baby girl.

Dr Roni Eichel, head of the neurology department at Shaare Zedek said It’s a case that he and his team had never experienced before as cases of strokes among women poised to give birth are rare.

“When there are strokes in young women they are normally after pregnancy, but not just before birth,” he said. “The drama for the doctors of a pregnant stroke patient is high. You want to do everything to save the patient, while also doing everything to save the baby. That’s not easy.”

Doctors were worried about the health of the unborn baby. Dr Eichel shared, “We stabilized the mother enough to take her for a Caesarean section, but she still had some signs of a stroke. There was a risk that after the Caesarean section her neurological situation could get worse, but we were confident based on the scans that she would be okay.”

Doctors and nurses worked fervently and thankfully delivered the baby within three hours of the mother’s arrival at the hospital.

Dr Eichel shared, “There was a great deal of pressure on us; after all we were responsible for not only one life but for two. Afterwards, the whole medical team was very emotional, and the next morning, when I came to the ICU and saw them, I felt a lot of joy.” He believes that the quick thinking of the workshop participant who spotted the stroke and called an ambulance saved the lives of both the mother and the baby, adding that he hopes it inspires others to be vigilant.

‘A’ shared, “I thank g-d for saving my baby and keeping me safe and sending good people to look after me. I thank the professional staff and dedicated doctors and nurses at Shaare Zedek who took care of my baby when I was not able to.”

Thankfully mother and baby are now recovering at home and both are well. ‘A’ agreed to share her story in the hope of raising awareness of strokes and the importance of spotting the early signs.

Main symptoms of stroke can be remembered with the word FAST:

FACE – the face may have dropped on 1 side, the person may not be able to smile, or their mouth or eye may have dropped.

ARMS – the person with suspected stroke may not be able to lift both arms and keep them there because of weakness or numbness in 1 arm.

SPEECH – their speech may be slurred or garbled, or the person may not be able to talk at all despite appearing to be awake; they may also have problems understanding what you’re saying to them.

TIME – it’s time to dial 999 immediately if you see any of these signs or symptoms.