A brain dead pregnant woman named Frankielen da Silva Zampoli Padilha was kept alive on life support for 123 days, the longest time ever – before delivering twins by emergency caesarean section.
The 21-year-old from Brazil died nine weeks into her pregnancy in October, 2016 after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage. Her ventilator was switched off in February this year and her heart and kidneys were donated.
According to a report in Daily Mail, doctors decided to save the nine-week-old embryos after their hearts continued to beat inside their mother’s womb. Her husband Muriel Padilha described the birth as a miracle after doctors said that they had no hope of surviving.
The babies were born at seven months’ gestation in February and discharged from the hospital in the end of May.
Reportedly, Dr Dalton Rivabem, head of neurological ICU at the hospital said, ‘We did an ultrasound on the embryos thinking they would be failing in the womb but to our surprise, they were clinging to life.’
The doctors, nurses, nutritionists, physiotherapists and other medical staff in the hospital sang, talked and caressed Fankielen’s pregnancy bump to provide love and support to the growing foetus.
Well-wishers from all over Brazil donated money, baby clothes and nappies to support the family.
Mr Padilha, who has a two-year-old daughter with his deceased wife recalled the last few hours with her.
He told Daily Mail that he was on his way to his job as a farmer, when Frankielen called, begging him to come home because her head was hurting her and she felt she was going to collapse.
He found her shaking, crying, dizzy and vomiting from the pain. He said: ‘As I drove her to hospital, she said “I want you to be prepared to accept this because I will be staying there, I won’t be coming home”.’ ‘Then she passed out and those were the last words she spoke to me and the last time I saw her alive.’
Doctors diagnosed Ms Padilha with a cerebral haemorrhage. She arrived at hospital with severe bleeding on the brain. After three days of tests and scans, doctors declared her brain dead and warned Mr Padilha there was no hope for the twins.
