Lying on her hospital bed, a blanket pulled over her pregnant belly, Candice Cruise thought she was dying.
She was pregnant and needed new lungs. In a world first, here’s how Toronto doctors saved a dying mom — and her baby. torstar.co/IMZV50GkWiP
Earlier that day doctors had told Candice she had pulmonary hypertension, a rare condition caused by narrowed arteries in her lungs that forced her heart to work dangerously hard.
To survive, the 37-year-old would need new lungs. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
But first, surgeons at Toronto General Hospital had to put Candice on a sophisticated life-support machine to get more oxygen into her lungs.
Medical guidelines recommended doctors end her 21-week pregnancy to save her life. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
Clutching his wife’s hand, Collin Cruise tried to tamp down his fear.
“I didn’t think it would turn out very good,” he said. “I thought I was going to lose her.” thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
Candice survived that April surgery.
It was the first of many fear-filled nights and the beginning of a medical case that would test the skills and daring of a physician team willing to push boundaries to save the lives of a mother and her unborn baby. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
Doctors at Toronto General, Mount Sinai Hospital and the Hospital for Sick Children believe Candice’s case is the first in the world where a pregnant mother with advanced pulmonary hypertension safely continued her pregnancy. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
It was with the help of a unique heart-lung machine and a series of other life-support techniques that kept Candice alive.
A month later, after a 14-hour transplant surgery, Candice had new lungs and both mother and baby are now home. thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
“I really wanted this baby. I could feel him moving around; I was attached," Candice said.
"But I also needed to make sure that I came home to my daughter. I didn’t want to leave her behind, I didn’t want her to be without a mother." thestar.com/news/gta/2021/…
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