In June of 2023, Yana and Mike Zablotska were ready to welcome their first child into the world at Advocate Sherman Hospital. As Yana was about to give birth, she experienced a sudden, unpredictable, and rare condition called an amniotic fluid embolism (AFE), which occurs when amniotic fluid enters the mother’s bloodstream, causing an acute reaction in the mother.
“I noticed a deceleration in the baby’s heart rate on a fetal heart monitor,” explained Victoria Bohlin, a labor and delivery nurse. “I checked on Yana right away. She told me she wasn’t feeling well and then went into cardiac arrest. I alerted the team and began CPR.”
In a matter of minutes, Dr. Michael Riermaier successfully delivered the baby, and Yana was transferred to the ICU to recover.
AFE is a rare condition that is extremely difficult to treat. The mortality rate is as high as 80% and 50% of deaths occur within the first hour of symptom onset. For those that do survive, lifelong neurological deficits are common.
Fortunately, Yana’s labor and delivery team had recently practiced an amniotic fluid embolism simulation in the Taffy and Bill Hoffer Simulation Lab at Advocate Sherman, which was made possible through philanthropic support. Because of the simulation training the team had received and their quick, skilled actions, Yana and her son, Michael Anthony, survived the AFE with no long-term complications – and they were able to leave the hospital just three days after he was born.
“Doing the amniotic fluid embolism simulation a few weeks prior to the actual event was definitely helpful in preparing the team for such a rare emergency,” explained Victoria. “Having practiced this as a team made a huge impact and allowed the whole team to remain calm and controlled during such a scary and rare emergency.”
Yana and Mike recently returned to Advocate Sherman with baby Michael for an emotional reunion with their nurses and doctors.
“It is not often that we get to see the patients we care for after they are discharged,” said Victoria. “It is incredibly rewarding to reunite with Yana and her family, to hug her and see how well she is doing.”
Yana and Mike were grateful for the opportunity to thank their care team, and they look forward to telling their son about his remarkable birth story when he’s older.
“Every single person in the labor and delivery unit and the ICU at Advocate Sherman was more than phenomenal,” shared Yana. “I’m so grateful to be healthy and have a healthy baby after surviving this rare condition.”
How you can help
The Taffy and Bill Hoffer Simulation Lab was made possible because of philanthropy, including a generous gift from Taffy and Bill Hoffer, who are longtime donors and volunteers at Advocate Sherman. In the safe environment of the simulation lab, teammates can practice real-life scenarios that enable them to save the lives of people like Yana and her son.
You can support programs like the simulation lab and help families like the Zablotskas by making a gift today.