As Carol Eckert de Campos held her newborn baby in her arms she was overcome with love – and relief.
Doctors had feared that her congenital heart condition meant that either she or her baby may not survive pregnancy and childbirth.
But 12 hours after her daughter Antonia was delivered via caesarean section at Mater Mothers' Private Brisbane on January 30, the 35-year-old suffered a cardiac arrest.
After being successfully resuscitated by Mater Mothers' staff, she was transferred to the Mater Hospital Brisbane Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
Today – after spending 12 days in ICU and a further three days on a ward – Mrs Eckert de Campos has made a full recovery and will treasure every moment she spends with her daughter this Mother's Day.
Mrs Eckert was diagnosed with Transposition of the Great Arteries (TGA) soon after she was born in her native Brazil. The heart defect occurs when the aorta and pulmonary artery are reversed, inhibiting the flow of oxygen-rich blood to the body and oxygen-poor blood to the lungs.
She met husband Luke Addati, a 35-year-old engineer from the Gold Coast, when both were working in Germany in 2019.
After suffering cardiac issues in Germany, she was told she could never have children.
"We started to think about adoption or surrogacy and decided to move back to Australia to start our family, but I never gave up hope of having my own baby," Mrs Eckert de Campos said.
After moving to Logan, the couple consulted Mater specialists after learning that a Queensland woman with TGA had previously given birth at Mater Mothers'.
Associate Professor Jo Laurie, Mater's Clinical Director of Obstetrics Medicine, said the couple were advised that the likelihood of a serious complication in pregnancy was very high.
"We counsel women like Carol very clearly about what the risks are and we work with them and their partners to make a decision they are comfortable with," A/Prof Laurie said.
"It's a very important informed consent process and we acknowledge the strong desire they have to have a child."
The couple carefully considered the challenges they faced – as well as the comprehensive monitoring and support that would be available to them at Mater Mothers' – and decided to try for the baby they both desperately wanted.
"When I fell pregnant I was over the moon, but my pregnancy was a tense time," she said.
"We knew the risks we were facing and regularly saw the doctors at Mater, but everything seemed to be fine. I didn't even have morning sickness," Mrs Eckert de Campos.When Antonia was safely born at 38 weeks via a planned caesarean, the couple were elated.
"It was a magical, beautiful moment. I was exhausted but so happy that my baby was here at last. I thought 'Yes, we did it!'"
Mrs Eckert de Campos has almost no recollection of what happened later as she recovered in her room.
It was three days before she finally regained consciousness in the ICU and, at first, she struggled to understand where she was – but she remembers clutching Antonia's toy bear, which the nurses placed in her hand.
Fortunately, Mrs Eckert de Campos did not suffer any lasting injury or harm as a result of her cardiac arrest.
"Every day they brought Antonia across from Mater Mothers' to see me. The nurses gave me strength to go through it all.
"They would braid my hair and when I was finally able to have a shower, it was like a party!"
A/Prof Laurie said her recovery was a testament to the expert medical care provided by Mater Mothers' and Mater Hospital Brisbane.
"Carol could easily have died. The fact she didn't is down to the very swift and multidisciplinary care she received," she said.
Mrs Eckert de Campos said her first Mother's Day will be an emotional time.
"When I look at Antonia I cry," she said. "I cannot imagine not being here to be her mum. I didn't bring her into this world to leave her alone.
"Everything has been worth it to have our baby girl – but there will be no more babies now.
"We would love to adopt another child, but that will be another journey."
