In November 2018, 28-year-old British woman Colvina Jolin, who was 23 weeks pregnant at the time, was going about her daily housework, when she suddenly blacked out.
The last thing she remembered was feeling a “massive headache” before calling out to her husband and passing out.
Time lapse of three months…
When Colvina opened her eyes again, it was February 2015 and she had given birth to her baby.
Colvina was rushed to hospital, but doctors couldn’t guarantee that she or her baby would come out of the ordeal okay.
Here’s what happened
According to The Daily Mail, the intense headache Colvina experienced before passing out heralded a massive brain haemorrhage that put her in a months-long coma.
After she lost consciousness, the mum-to-be (at the time) was rushed to the Queen Alexandra Hospital in Portsmouth, where it was decided she needed specialist brain surgery at Southampton General, over 36km away.
Reportedly, doctors had told her family “the odds of surviving the transfer were just one in ten – but that without the operation she would die.”
Once she reached Southampton, surgery was promptly conducted and according to intensive care consultant Dr Andy Eynon, “Within ten minutes, her skull had been opened and a massive clot was removed.”
Dr Eynon explained that the bleeding caused massive pressure to build up, in turn “forcing the brain down on to the vital brain stem controlling breathing, heart function and blood pressure.”
Doctors were worried that pressure could have affected the blood flow to Colvina’s womb, they had to ensure the baby was okay while saving Colvina at the same time.
Did Colvina come out of her coma eventually? Find out on the next page.
Woman in a coma gives birth: Colvina eventually came out of her coma and was able to meet her sweet little baby for the first time.
Image from The Daily Mail
A successful operation, but coma persisted
Thankfully, Colvina’s operation was a success, but she remained in a coma. Medical professionals also couldn’t guarantee if her unborn baby would be okay.
Over the weeks, reports say that Colvina’s mother noticed that her daughter was moving her hand, like she wanted to touch her pregnancy bump. It was almost like she sensed she was pregnant.
At 29 weeks pregnant, Colvina went into labour and her daughter Maia was delivered via C-section. Doctors say it is extremely rare for a woman in a coma to give birth.
The little girl weighed just a little over a kilogram when she was born and had to be resuscitated twice — she was that fragile. Her father said she was so tiny that she could fit in the palm of his hand.
Mums and baby are both doing well now.
Images from The Daily Mail
It’s a miracle — mum wakes up!
Seven weeks after giving birth to Maia, Colvina started to show signs of waking up. For example, she waved back when her mother said “hello” and on another day, “she tapped her wrist and rocked her arms, signalling to staff that she understood she had given birth and wanted to see her baby.”
Colvina had amazingly come out of her coma… could it have been the love she had for her baby that saved her? Who knows.
But this incredible mum had this to say: “I know it sounds stupid but I never remember not having her. It’s as if she was always there, even though I was in a coma when she was born.”
Little Maia is now almost one year old. Her mum, meanwhile, has learned to walk again even though her speech is still not perfect and she has muscle weakness on one side of her body.
Rehabilitation consultant Alison Hatfield said, “We can tell when a patient is trying and Colvina is driven by wanting to be able to care for Maia herself. Her little one is giving her goals.”
You’ll have to agree that Colvina’s story is nothing short of miraculous — we certainly think it is!
Have you ever heard of a woman giving birth while in a coma? Leave a comment below and tell us if you’ve heard of other “miraculous” birth stories.