On 11/25, Jessica came down with Covid which turned into pneumonia she had a difficult time breathing and took her pulse oxygen level. Her level was at 85 so she consulted her doctor. She was concerned about her baby. Jessica was 28 weeks pregnant with baby number 7. The doctor told her it was dangerous for the baby and she decided to go to emergency. Jessica’s husband Matt took her to emergency and they basically shut the door in his face and rushed her by ambulance to the hospital affiliated with the emergency center. Jessica was only in contact with her family by cell phone texts.

By the 3rd day Matt was called in to discuss a cesarean and taking the baby, now 29 weeks. Jessica would do anything to save her child and they agreed after being told the baby was in danger.
On 12/4/21 the hospital told Matt that they must ventilate Jessica and take the baby. They were both very scared. Jessica told Matt “if they vent me I’m not going to make it out” Jessica fought the ventilator, she struggled and fought not to be vented. They sedated her and took her baby. Jessica was in an induced coma and on restraints.

The baby Margaret was then taken to the NICU and kept for the next 79 days. The next thing that was reported was Jessica needed to have kidney dialysis, her kidneys were failing. I couldn’t understand how a completely healthy mother could be in dialysis. For the next 8 days Jessica’s health deteriorated, kidneys failing, then a hole in her lung, strokes and finally she was hemorrhaging into her brain.  The palliative care team called us, myself, her husband Matt, father and eldest daughter to inform us of her decline.

On the 14th we were called in again to tell us that Jessica was basically brain dead and to take her off the ventilator because there was nothing else they could do. I asked if she would suffer when they took the vent out, they said she would be comfortable as she would be on fentanyl and would feel nothing. Matt, Josie, Jessica’s eldest daughter, Jessica’s dad and myself waited in the hallway outside her room for them to remove the ventilator. We were called in and silently and lovingly were with her, as she breathed her last breath.

This is not the end, there’s a premie in the NICU and 5 other children that will never have their mommy back, as she left in the middle of the night, never to see her again. At the time of her death, Josie her oldest was 20, 21 on 12/27. Ike was 12 and his birthday was 2 days after her funeral on 12/22. Sam was 11 and turned 12 on 12/24. Ida was 6, her birthday on June 6th. Esther was 4 and turned 5 on 22/27. Jack was 18 months old, his birthday is on August 23rd he was still nursing at the time. Now baby Margaret born on the 4th December just 10 days before her mother’s death.
It’s been a struggle for everyone that loved her, she was a mamma bear that would do anything for her children!