Laura’s pregnancy was difficult from the start. Early bleeding and other complications meant she needed weekly specialist scans in Sheffield.
However, at 32 weeks Laura noticed reduced movements and attended triage at Doncaster Royal Infirmary.
Laura explained: “I expected they would just monitor me and send me home.”
While providing a urine sample, Laura suddenly became unwell and activated the emergency alarm. Specialty Doctor in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mr Islam Wafa, quickly assessed her and confirmed that her placenta – the organ that supplies the babies with oxygen and nutrients during pregnancy – had ruptured, meaning she needed an immediate emergency C-section.
From the moment Laura entered the hospital to being taken into surgery, just six minutes had passed.
Laura recalled: “The first thing I said when I woke up was, ‘Where are my babies?’ They were in Neonatal Intensive Care while I was in intensive care.”
Laura later learned she had lost six litres of blood during surgery, and that it took seven hours for the team to stabilise her. One of the twins was also born unresponsive and required a blood transfusion.
Reflecting on the events, Laura added: “I was told that if I hadn’t already been in hospital next to the emergency alarm when my placenta ruptured, we probably wouldn’t have made it.”
After being discharged, Laura returned to hospital when she woke up shaking and was diagnosed with an infection, requiring three days of antibiotics and a further inpatient stay.
She continued: “While I was there, I had a visitor, the surgeon who had saved our lives. He had come back from Egypt, where he had flown to straight from my C-section, and heard that I was back in hospital. He came to see me on his day off.
“I was so thankful to see him and to be able to say thank you. He said he was just doing his job, but to me that job is incredible – I wouldn’t be here without him, and I wouldn’t have two beautiful babies either.”
Laura praised the team who cared for her and her babies: “I want to say a huge thank you to everyone who worked through the night to save us, especially Mr Wafa, who undoubtedly saved our lives.”
Laura and her daughters spent seven weeks on the neonatal unit in Doncaster, where she also thanked Jason Boyd, Advanced Neonatal Nurse Practitioner, and the wider team who cared for the twins. Their hospital journey ended at Bassetlaw Hospital’s Special Care Baby Unit (SCBU), where the babies continued to improve before finally going home.
Looking back on the experience, Laura said: “From a pregnancy filled with fear and uncertainty, we received the most incredible care imaginable.
“We rarely hear people thanking surgeons for their support during birth. In our case, Mr Wafa made a significant impact on us. We will never forget the care, dedication and compassion shown by him and the wider team.”
Dr Nick Mallaband, Acting Executive Medical Director at DBTH, commented: “We are incredibly pleased to hear that Laura and her babies are doing well following what was an extremely serious and time-critical situation.
“Stories like this highlight the skill, dedication and teamwork of our colleagues across maternity, theatres, intensive care and neonatal services, who work together every day to provide safe care for mothers and babies. I would like to thank all colleagues involved for their swift actions and professionalism in such a challenging emergency.”
