In other words, pull out a coin, flip it and if it’s “heads” you live and get to see your husband again and your son for the first time.
But if that coin lands on “tails” you die and leave behind a husband to raise your son.
Earlier this month, Gould, her husband, Ben Rosenberger, and their 1-year-old son, Archer, were reunited with the cardiac and delivery teams at Atrium that saved her life with the assistance of advanced technology and teamwork among departments.
“Right before my C-section, I thought, this was it for me. I just knew something was wrong. And I thought that he would be with Ben and I would be gone. The fact that I get to be here, I’m really, really, really grateful,” Gould said.
This will be Archer’s second Thanksgiving, but considering the hurdles the Maineville family has cleared, this one will be more special than the first.
Even a dry turkey, lumpy mashed potatoes or overcooked green beans couldn’t ruin Thanksgiving for this family.
“We give thanks every day,” Gould, 34, said while holding Archer, who was playing with Dr. Sayed’s ID badge. “We always dreamed of being together as a family. Now we get to wake up every day with him.”
Her husband, 35, an officer with the Hamilton Twp. Police Department, added: “We have so much to be thankful for. I can’t believe we’re on this side of things.”
On the morning of Nov. 2, 2024, minutes after having Archer, Gould was in the cardiac cath lab, where physicians used a small heart pump called the Impella device to keep blood flowing and giving her heart time to recover.
When Gould was shown the device for the first time during the reunion near the Family Birth Center, she said it was “creepy” that it was in her body.
“It’s crazy that it was there when I wasn’t awake and when I was awake it was out,” said Gould, who will return to AMC every year for a check-up.
After three days on life support and around-the-clock critical care, she opened her eyes and held her newborn son for the first time.
Postpartum cardiomyopathy is a rare form of heart failure that happens toward the end of pregnancy or in the months following delivery.
Dr. Sayed said the condition causes heart chambers to enlarge and the heart muscle to weaken. This creates a decrease in the amount of blood the heart pumps, he said.
Because of the Impella and the quick actions of the medical team at AMC, instead of planning his wife’s funeral, Rosenberger attended a family celebration.
“Everybody was in the right place at the right time and did the best work to make this possible and we are grateful,” he said, fighting back tears. “I mean, every day, I mean, every day is just awesome.”
As Dr. Sayed explained the complicated, life-saving procedure and the mortality rate for postpartum cardiomyopathy, several family, friends and medical staff members who attended the reunion cried.
Robinann Shane, a cardiovascular technologist, was at Dr. Sayed’s side during the procedure. She called it “a pretty traumatic case,” but seeing the family together made the stress worthwhile.
“It’s why we do our job,” Shane said.
Registered Nurse Allison Specht remembers that when she received the call at 1 am. on Nov. 2 for a 33-year-old woman in the cardiac cath lab, she figured it was a drug overdose.
Then, as more information became available, she realized the woman just had a baby.
That hit home for Specht. Just two days prior, Specht learned she was pregnant. The women had an instant bond.
Specht frequently checked on Gould during her hospital stay and they talk almost daily.
“It’s a full circle moment,” Specht said when asked about the reunion.
Columnist Rick McCrabb writes about local people and events every Sunday. If you have an idea for a story, contact him at rmccrabb1@gmail.com.
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