Mother Celebrates Daughter's 1st Birthday, Thanks Medical Staff After Difficult Delivery

DENVER (CBS4)- A Colorado mother celebrated her daughter's first birthday inside the same hospital where they nearly died one year ago. Evelyn Cabello was born at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children on Aug. 3, 2018.

Moments later, her mother Maria nearly lost her life. Their family used the milestone celebration to thank the team of doctors who saved them.

"I was not really conscious. I didn't know what was going on. I remember waking up and seeing my family," said Maria Cabello.

Cabello had developed serious complications during pregnancy and doctors at Presbyterian/St. Luke's Medical Center suggested she undergo a cesarean section to delivery her baby. The C-Section went smoothly, but doctors needed to perform a hysterectomy, as her placenta wouldn't detach.

"We've had a lot of difficult deliveries, and a lot of blood loss, and a lot of difficult surgeries — but nothing even close to this," said Dr. Tara Becker of Maternal Fetal Medicine.

Becker delivered Cabello's baby.

Cabello's condition grew more serious. The placenta had grown through her uterus. To make matters worse, she was bleeding from her vena cava, a vein that carries blood from the heart. Vascular and general surgeons joined the fight to save Cabello.

"We emptied the blood bank. We used every single unit of blood we had in the blood bank here. Then we called across town for more," said Becker.

Cabello ended up losing 50-65 units of blood, 10 times the average person's blood supply.

A total of 25 medical professionals worked to save Cabello's life. The medical staff never stopped fighting, even when Cabello felt she had no fight left to give.

"There was a moment I gave up. I couldn't handle what was going on," said Cabello.

She says thinking of her children gave her the strength to power through.

Her daughter, Evelyn, was released from the NICU before Cabello was released from the hospital. The mother of five went home 30 days after she was admitted. She's thankful to have been cared for at the hospital with the highest rating for high-risk deliveries in Colorado.

"Neither one of them probably would've survived had they been at another hospital," said Dr. Reginald Washington, Chief Medical Officer.