Nineteen-year-old Itzel Gomez-Delgado delivered a healthy baby boy at a small community hospital, but by the next day Itzel’s blood count had dropped significantly, along with her blood pressure. Despite multiple units of blood being given and several emergent trips to the operating room to try to stop the bleeding, Itzel’s body began to shut down. Her lungs, kidneys, and heart were starting to fail.

She was transferred to Legacy Emanuel Medical Center where nurses, doctors, and therapists worked long and hard to stabilize her failing body systems. Itzel’s road to recovery was long and involved many specialists to care for her multi-organ failure. It took a while, but
Itzel’s kidneys began to produce, and her heart and lungs also recovered.

Itzel’s son, Juan Luis, is now a healthy and happy toddler.  His mom Itzel is finishing up her studies to become a teacher.