Woman who got COVID-19 while pregnant urges others to get vaccinated
A Sarnia, Ont. woman who was pregnant when she ended up in the ICU fighting for her life after contracting COVID-19 is sharing her cautionary tale.
The family was originally vaccine hesitant, but after surviving the scary ordeal they have a message for others who feel the same.
Jean-Claude Haramba, his wife Millicent Mwangi, and their three children all contracted COVID-19 in October.
“We were not against the vaccine, but she was kind of skeptical to take it because she was pregnant,” he says.
Mwangi began feeling ill after three of her children had been in close contact with other children who had contracted the illness.
“I think my wife didn’t feel well, she was really weak, she said, 'You know what, I think I’ll have to go to emergency, to the hospital,'” Haramba says.
She went to Bluewater Health in Sarnia, and by the next day, her baby had to be delivered via C-section because her blood pressure had spiked to abnormal levels.
The baby was delivered -- safe and healthy -- but Mwangi was sent to the ICU after testing positive for COVID-19.
“What we’re finding now, two years into the pandemic, is that the risk to the pregnant women as well as the risk to the baby is much higher if a woman chooses not to get vaccinated,” explains Dr. Glenna Cuccarolo, medical director of Critical Care at Bluewater Health,
By the time the baby was born, the rest of the family had tested positive for the virus as well, and had to quarantine.
“So the baby had to stay in the hospital alone,” Mwangi says, while she was in critical condition in the ICU.
“Seeing her with all the stuff, yeah it’s not good," Harama adds.
It's now been two weeks since Mwangi left the hospital and was reunited with her new baby, three other children and her husband – who are all healthy.
She says if she had to do it over, she would make different choices.
“For now women that get pregnant, they should take the vaccine.”
According to Cuccarolo, vaccine hesitancy is a common theme they are seeing in patients that arrive at the ICU.
“When we’re discussing this, they tend to be on the defensive side, and they say they are on the fence, and they are not sure about the side effects. And for many people they just haven’t gotten around to doing it yet, and they are still thinking about it.”
Cuccarolo and other health professionals in Sarnia are pleading for people to get the vaccine in order to help prevent the infection, decrease transmission and reduce the severity of the infection if acquired.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Poilievre will do 'anything to win,' must condemn Alex Jones endorsement: Trudeau
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is ramping up his attacks on Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre as he promotes his government's federal budget.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
New evidence challenges the Pentagon's account of a horrific attack as the U.S. withdrew from Afghanistan: CNN exclusive
New video evidence uncovered by CNN significantly undermines two Pentagon investigations into an ISIS-K suicide attack outside Kabul airport, during the American withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.
Video shows suspects waving weapons, smashing glass in Toronto jewelry store robbery
Arrests have been made after five men were captured on video rampaging through a jewelry store in Toronto, waving weapons and smashing glass display cases.
Pilot proposes to flight attendant girlfriend in front of passengers
A Polish pilot proposed to his flight attendant girlfriend during a flight from Warsaw to Krakow, and she said yes.
Ottawa injects another $36M into fund for those seriously injured or killed by vaccines
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
Ex-SNC executive sentenced to prison term in bridge bribery case
The RCMP says a former SNC-Lavalin executive has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison in connection with a bribery scheme for a bridge repair contract in Montreal.