Texas Woman Survives Rare Pregnancy Complication After Heart Stops Following Triplet Birth
When Marisa Christie, 30, of Tomball, Texas, arrived at the hospital for a planned cesarean section to deliver her triplets, everything seemed to be going according to plan. But moments after giving birth, a medical emergency occurred that would change her life forever.
As Christie’s three newborns were placed on her stomach for delayed cord clamping, she suddenly lost control of her body. “My arms flew up, and that was when my heart stopped,” she told TODAY.com.
Christie had experienced a rare and often fatal condition called an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE). This severe complication, where amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream, can cause a dramatic allergic-like reaction, leading to cardiac arrest. Thankfully, the medical team acted quickly, and Christie was stabilized, though she remained unconscious for an entire week.
When she awoke, Christie was shocked to learn that her triplets—two girls and a boy—were healthy, but she had no memory of giving birth to them. “How could I not remember having my babies?” she said.
An Unexpected Pregnancy and Complicated Birth
Marisa and her husband Dillon, parents to a 4-year-old son, had been trying for another child for two years when they found out they were expecting. Initially told it was twins, an ultrasound later revealed that a third baby was on the way, leaving the couple in shock. “I cried most of that month,” Marisa admitted, overwhelmed by the thought of having four children.
Despite the initial shock, the couple’s excitement grew, though the pregnancy was challenging. Marisa felt constantly exhausted and very ill during the first few months. Later, doctors discovered one of the triplets had a twin that failed to develop, necessitating an in-utero procedure to prevent complications.
On August 21, at 33 weeks pregnant, Marisa arrived at Memorial Hermann Medical Center in Houston for a scheduled C-section. While the babies were successfully delivered, moments later, Marisa began to seize. Dr. Ricardo Mora, the anesthesiologist, quickly recognized that Marisa was experiencing an amniotic fluid embolism, an extremely dangerous event.
With her heart stopped and her body in crisis, the medical team sprang into action. “She wasn’t breathing,” Dr. Mora recalled. “We started CPR because she had no pulse.” The doctors continued to work for nearly an hour, and after being placed on ECMO—a machine that helps support the heart and lungs—Marisa’s blood was successfully pumped, and she was revived.
The Battle for Survival
For 45 minutes, Marisa was clinically dead, and even after being stabilized, her journey was far from over. The medical team, including Dr. Amber Samuel, worked tirelessly to stop Marisa’s internal bleeding. After multiple attempts to control the hemorrhaging, Marisa required a hysterectomy to save her life, leaving her with an open incision to promote healing.
Despite the severity of the situation, Dr. Samuel explained that amniotic fluid embolisms are extremely rare, affecting only a small number of pregnancies, and the cause remains largely unknown. Pregnancy with multiples is considered a risk factor, though the likelihood of experiencing AFE is still very low.
“Having access to blood products, ECMO, and expert care are vital,” Dr. Samuel said. “Without them, survival is almost impossible.”
A Long Road to Recovery
Marisa spent the next week unconscious, with doctors closely monitoring her recovery. It wasn’t until several days later that Marisa began to show signs of improvement. Slowly, she regained consciousness, but the experience was disorienting. “The pain that I felt, I’m like there’s no way this is not real,” she recalled. “That’s the first very coherent thought I remember having.”
Her triplets—Charlotte, Kendall, and Collins—had been born healthy, but Marisa had to wait over a week to meet them. “They felt like they’re not real,” she said. “It took a little bit to get that connection with them.”
While Marisa recovered at home, she still had an open wound and was attached to a wound vacuum. Despite these challenges, she found solace in the gradual arrival of her babies from the hospital, which helped her adjust to life with a toddler and multiple newborns.
Now, nearly two months after the delivery, Marisa’s wound has healed, but she reflects on how the traumatic experience has reshaped her. “I feel very disconnected to whoever I was before,” she admitted. “I’ve gotten stronger, but I’ve also changed so much.”
Raising Awareness and Offering Hope
Marisa is sharing her story to raise awareness of amniotic fluid embolism, a rare but serious complication. While doctors are uncertain about its exact cause, Marisa’s survival and recovery are seen as a miracle.
“It’s rare, but it does happen,” she said. “There were so many miracles that led up to me living instead of dying, and we’re grateful.”
Now, as she adjusts to life with her new family, Marisa finds herself cherishing each moment with her triplets and the second chance at life she never thought she’d have.