Help the Soden Family Heal

Many of you know that my daughter, Breanna, was pregnant and due to have baby Edith in a couple of weeks.  On the morning of Feb 28th she woke up feeling dizzy and having severe pain.  The ambulance was called and she was rapidly transported to the hospital.  At the hospital she went into full cardiac arrest and was kept alive by the medical team performing CPR on her.  They instantly got her into surgery where they performed an emergency c-section, but, sadly, the baby did not make it.  Breanna was still bleeding internally so they continued the life-saving surgery to try and stop it. They discovered that she suffered a very rare pregnancy complication, a placental abruption.  This is when the placenta detaches from the uterus…usually caused by trauma, or happens gradually…But for Breanna it was neither of those things.  It was spontaneous and instant. This caused major hemorrhaging.  Because of the amount of bleeding, her body went into DIC, or disseminated intravascular coagulation, which is a condition in which the body’s blood has used up all of its clotting agents and can not longer clot, therefore cannot stop bleeding (another very rare thing).   In the surgery, they stopped her bleeding as much as they could and stabilized her.  

Once she was out of the surgery they transferred her to ICU and had to continue life support and blood pressure medications, as her bp would not stay up on its own.  They also had to give her 2 full transfusions throughout that day.  With a doctor and 4 nurses in her room all day long, they continued monitoring her and providing life supporting efforts.  However, they gave her so much blood and her body was not able to utilize it properly, it was bleeding into her body cavity.  Her body filled up massively with fluids.  They were having a hard time stabilizing her so she could not be sedated.  She had times when she would come to.  She was highly confused and only would ask if the baby was okay - which was heart wrenching! We could not tell her anything because for one, she wouldn't have remembered the answer, and two, she needed all of her strength to fight to stay alive.  We kept her calm and told her to rest. The entire family was more scared than we have ever been.  Everyone was praying, some of her siblings were holding vigil outside the hospital in their car since they could not come in to see her.  

Then, in the middle of the night she started rapidly declining, with her blood pressure dropping dangerously low even though she was on the highest dose of bp medications.  There was no choice, to save her life, the doctors said she had to go into a second emergency surgery.  We were all so afraid we were going to lose her!  It was horrific.  When the doctors told us she might not survive this, I just remember saying, "That just CAN'T happen! She HAS to live!"  Seeing Brea in the state she was in right before that surgery was the most horrible moment of my life thus far.   I felt like I may pass out and throw up at the same time.  I pray I never see anything like that again.  

During the surgery,  they removed the fluids that were threatening her vital organs.  The doctor told us they took 12 liters of blood from her abdomen!  They then patched up spots internally that were still bleeding.  She was then brought back to ICU where they could continue to monitor her and keep her stable.  On return, she looked a million times better.  We were all SO thankful!

Since that surgery they have keep her stable and her body began to slowly regulate itself.  After a few days her blood pressure could stay regulated on its own.  A few days after that, she could breathe on her own.  Then, after being asleep for a week, they finally could take her off of sedation and wake her up!

As she was waking up she was still in a very drug-induced state.  The doctors and nurses told us that her body isn’t ridding itself of the medication very fast because her kidneys aren’t functioning.  She asked to FaceTime me.  Dominique was also by her side through all of this so she called me, as Brea could not hold up her arms.  On the call, she instantly started crying and telling me that she had really terrible dreams and she felt like she was still stuck in her dreams.  So, I went back to the hospital to be with her.  That is when she was told the devastating news about the baby not making it.  

These last couple of days have concentrating on Brea increasing her strength.  Her body has been through devastating trauma and was near death, so it needs to remember how to function.  She can’t walk without assistance and she has very little arm strength, although she went from not being able to even touch her mouth, to being able to touch all over her face in a day.  There is a long road ahead for her and her family as she heals.  The doctors say that she is a miracle!  The nurses say that they are amazed to see her doing so well, especially since she shouldn’t have even survived what she went through.  She is a strong fighter!  And she is determined to get back up and running! (Okay, maybe not running, but walking fast). She is still on dialysis but even her kidneys are coming back, which is something the nephrologist said may not happen.  Trey has been by her side the entire time.  He hasn’t been able to work and will need to take much more time off to be home to help her and tend to their 4 other kiddos.  They have a long road ahead….But, thank GOD Breanna is still here with all of us.

Why I am asking for help:  Trey is the sole bread-winner of the family.  He has been missing work for a week-and-a-half so far and will continue to be out of work in order take care of Breanna and the kiddos until she is settled back into home.   Also, there are modifications that will need to be made to the home since she is not able to climb any stairs or move around freely on her own right now.  And, very importantly, there are expenses that will need to be covered for the laying to rest of baby Edith. No one prepares to have to bury their baby and Edith needs to be someplace where Brea, Trey, and the family can visit her.  Any help you are able to give will be greatly appreciated!  Love to you all ~ Colleen.