of dreaming about becoming a mother, Tara Hansen had spent the
previous nine months preparing with her husband and high-school
sweetheart, Ryan Hansen, for the arrival of their first child and the
start of their new life together as a family.
and put away for safekeeping. Doctor's visits were scheduled and
plans were made for the delivery. And, as a lifelong athlete and
model of good health, Tara was vigilant about maintaining her
healthy lifestyle during pregnancy--eating well, staying fit, and
fully committing herself to those regular, recommended prenatal
appointments. She used to joke with her family that she was the
first pregnant woman to crave spinach and mushrooms, not ice cream.
of any potential problems before delivery.
baby boy, Brandon Ryan, at a hospital close to the family's home,
Tara passed away as a result of complications due to childbirth.
Mom, Dad, and baby. Thirty-six hours looking for all the things we
had `conveniently' put away. Thirty-six hours to laugh with each
other, and to love one another as a family. For 36 hours we
That's it," Ryan recalled.
degree tear that had gone unnoticed and uncontrolled, neither
caught early enough nor treated aggressively enough to make a
difference in saving Tara's life, he said.
without warning, he noted. She began to feel unwell in the hospital
after delivery, taking the time to speak to her health care providers
about her concerns and suspicions that her body did not feel
the way it was supposed to. But Tara was considered a healthy
postpartum patient and therefore sent home.
wrong was Tara, and she was right. To me it appeared that her
complaints just kept falling on deaf ears, with everyone assuming
that the pain she was describing was to be `expected' because
she just had a baby," he said.
the way health care providers communicate with patients.
Listening to patients' concerns and not assuming they're part of
the norm may make a difference in helping to prevent maternal
morbidity and mortality.