It was five years ago that Theresa Sawyer of Des Moines suffered a ruptured cerebral aneurysm. The blood clotted, stabilizing the damage, but the chances of surviving a ruptured cerebral aneurysm were no better than 50 percent. To complicate matters further, she went into labor and was having contractions every four minutes. She needed specialized care and was airlifted to UI Hospitals and Clinics.
A team of UI specialists—neurosurgeons, obstetricians, gynecologists, and anesthesiologists—developed a strategy for achieving the safest possible outcome for both the baby and the mother.
Katy Erin Sawyer was successfully delivered by cesarean section that evening. Sawyer's brain surgery was scheduled for the next morning.
Sawyer made it through the complex surgery successfully, due to the expertise of the physicians and staff at UI Hospitals and Clinics. Although her recovery was uncertain at first, Sawyer regained consciousness in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit and returned home nearly three weeks after collapsing at her workplace.
Today, Katy is a busy kindergartener and enjoys playing with her two sisters. The Sawyers had another child two years ago.
"I thank God every day for hearing everyone's prayers and for giving me the chance to be a mother to my sweet girls," Sawyer said. "I'm still in awe of what everybody did to save my life. I'm very fortunate and grateful to be alive."
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For more information:
UI Neurosciences
Pacemaker: A Survivor's Story
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