7 minute read
New Life as Three
How does someone suffering from a spinal cord injury experience pregnancy? Tina knows. She is one of only very few women who gives birth to a child despite a high-level spinal cord injury rendering her quadriplegic.
We meet in her bright flat in St. Johann in Tyrol. Tina sits opposite me, her hands placed on her belly. She is eight months pregnant and about to give birth to her first child. “It’s a strange feeling that’s hard to describe. Due to my injury, I feel very little from the chest down. Yet I can definitely feel movement in my womb,” the 35-year-old says in a low voice. Her breathing is noticeably heavy. The pregnancy poses a strain on a body that suffered a spinal cord injury at the tender age of 21.
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Unexpected fate
Back then, she had just returned to snow-covered Tyrol from a trip around the world that took her to, among other destinations, India and Nepal. After spending some time at home, she decided to go snowboarding with her father and brother. Fate, however, decided to ruin a perfect family day after a few runs. The edge of her board dug into the snow, resulting in an unfortunate fall that caused a cervical vertebra to fracture as her neck hit the slope. “I was fully aware of the fall itself and how I suddenly lost all feeling in my body. I was helpless and absolutely terrified,” Tina recalls with the pain of that day clearly etched into her face. She went on to spend many weeks in hospitals and rehab centres. The shattering diagnosis: a complete spinal cord injury at the level of the 6th cervical vertebra. This means she lost most bodily functions below the injury level. Her psyche suffered greatly after the injury: “I almost lost myself after the accident. I simply didn’t know who I was anymore.”
The most beautiful gift
Much has happened since then. Tina has learned to come to terms with her new life. She has carved out a successful career as an artist despite not being able to move her fingers. Tina creates playful, friendly motifs and sells her self-designed products in her own shop.
Tina Hötzendorfer
A year ago, she met her partner Richard online. They fell in love and moved in together shortly thereafter. She became pregnant unexpectedly a short time later. “To be honest, I had pretty much given up on the subject of having children after my accident. That’s why I’m so excited, but I’m facing a huge challenge,” the mum-to-be acknowledges. When being asked what she is most afraid of, you can sense her exhaustion – and some tension. “It’s so difficult to gauge the physical capacity I will have when our child arrives. I’d love to take care of everything myself,” Tina says.
Family bliss: the parents enjoy every free minute with little Elias.
Photo: Lisa Jungmann
SIX MONTHS LATER …
We meet again, in the same bright fat. Tina is sitting in exactly the same spot. Her belly is smaller and the expression on her face has changed. She seems changed, that much is clear. She has brought a new life into the world – and was forced to endure anxious hours in the process.
When the worst comes to pass
Her son Elias was born six months ago in a planned caesarean section. Tina was in great pain for the first few days after the operation. Then her condition worsened suddenly. The water retained by the pregnancy accumulated in her bladder. The sheer volume causes Tina to suffer from what is known as “autonomic dysreflexia”. The condition causes the blood pressure to rise to life-threatening levels. “It’s probably the worst that can happen to someone suffering from a high-level spinal cord injury. Nobody was prepared for this development. Pregnancies among people with my kind of injury are incredibly rare. Personally, I only know of one other woman in Austria who became a mum as a quadriplegic,” Tina tells us.
Tina stabilised after a few hours in critical condition. Her son and she were forced to spend a few extra days in hospital as a consequence. Richard never left her side. “The arrival of our Elias was a truly overwhelming experience. It almost tore my heart apart with love the first time I gazed into his eyes. When we were discharged from the hospital, there were suddenly three of us at home – a real family. There were many, many tears of joy,” says Tina, beaming with pride.
Tina Hötzendorfer
The young mother’s emotional state is best described as a rollercoaster. Greatest happiness and joy are juxtaposed with painful sadness. Joy at having delivered a healthy child into the world, in a body that has already endured so much. Sadness about not being able to live up to her own expectations. She can’t just pick up her child when it cries. She can’t breastfeed, as her circulation won’t allow it. “I do feel terrible at times. When my son wakes up in the middle of the night, for example, I can’t simply go and fetch him. My fiancé does that for me, so we can comfort our son together in our bed. I require help with so many things that I would love to just do myself,” says Tina.
Reconciling Tasks
Tina’s body has not yet recovered from childbirth. “You have to accept that not everything you set out to do will actually be possible. That’s not an easy thing to do,” the Tyrolean acknowledges. Yet life as a trio seems to work just fine. When their child is asleep, the two parents work for their shared business. When asked how they manage to reconcile all their duties, Tina and her fiancé exchange glances and laugh. It is indeed a herculean task to manage their lives. “It isn’t always easy, but
Elias loves sitting on his mum’s lap.
Photo: Lisa Jungmann
our child filled a gap we didn’t even know existed,” Richard explains. “There is so much love. Every day spent with our son is a priceless gift,” Tina adds while glancing at Elias. She seems to be in a reflective mood. She doesn’t dwell long on the question about her wishes for the future: “One day, I want to be able to walk across a meadow with my boy, to feel the grass between my toes. That would be wonderful. I can’t wait for this dream to come true.”
A breath of fresh air: the family enjoys spending time outdoors together.
Photo: Lisa Jungmann
Richard having fun with his son.
Photo: Lisa Jungmann
Pregnancy with a spinal cord injury
An injury to the spinal cord nerves does not usually affect the female cycle. This means that women who suffer a spinal cord injury can experience a completely normal pregnancy. Vaginal childbirth is possible, even though the mother is often incapable of pushing actively due to lack of abdominal muscle control. Pregnant women suffering from a high-level spinal cord injury are typically forced to deliver by caesarean section.
