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WHEN A BLOOD CLOT
THREATENED A MOTHER
PREGNANT WITH TWINS,
BACK-TO-BACK SURGERIES
SAVED ALL THREE LIVES

Photo of Myla

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Myla was 36 weeks pregnant with twins when her husband found her unconscious and non-responsive in their home. The week before, Myla was perfectly healthy. In fact, her pregnancy had been completely normal until that day.

Myla doesn't remember much about the incident. She had a headache, and after taking an aspirin, she went to bed, where her husband recalls finding her breathing heavily. When she wouldn't wake up, he called 911 and she was taken to hospital. There, the doctors ordered a CT scan and discovered a blood clot in her brain. They told her husband and 18-year-old daughter there was nothing they could do — Myla and the twins wouldn't make it.

But then, a nurse noticed her hand move. The doctors tested her reflexes and recognized that she had a chance for survival. She was immediately transported to Sunnybrook.

Half an hour later, a team of 14 including a neurosurgeon and obstetrician were ready for her in the operating room. The team discussed all the possibilities and created a plan that balanced competing factors. The pressure on her brain needed to be relieved, but her blood pressure needed to remain high enough to pump oxygen to her brain and support her babies. They decided to perform a craniotomy, followed immediately by a C-section.

Myla
Myla Lopez: “I'm so grateful. If we hadn't been brought to Sunnybrook, the three of us would be gone.” (Photograph by Chris Morris)

Both procedures were successful and Myla's healthy twin girls were safely removed and placed in incubators; Jamie was just under six pounds, and Samantha was just under five.

Myla was unconscious for three days. When she woke up, she didn't know that she'd had a C-section or major brain surgery until she saw herself in the mirror. She spent three days in recovery before she saw her babies. "I was weak, but I was just so in love with my babies."

Myla spent three weeks in recovery, and made a remarkable recovery. Very quickly, she could walk, balance herself, and passed all the cognitive tests. She was sent home to join her new family.

Myla doesn't remember the incident, which she is appreciative of. The only thing that reminds her that it ever happened at all is a dent on her forehead where her doctors cut through muscles during her craniotomy. "It's like a bad dream."

For Myla and her family, life is back to normal. They are healthy and busy, as any family with twins would be.

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