Surprise Delivery Has Gentle Landing at Roper St. Francis
Jessica Kuraska had been feeling a bit under the weather, but this was nothing remarkable as she was 31 weeks pregnant. She had four successful pregnancies before, and each had their better and worse days. Still, she believed in taking precautions and looked forward to her next checkup with her OB.
Her doctor examined her and just wanted her to go to the Bon Secours St. Francis Emergency Department in West Ashley for further monitoring but nothing more. “I was hungry,” said Jessica. “So my teenage daughter and I went for lunch at Chick-fil-A on the way there.”
When she arrived later that morning at the Emergency Department, her blood pressure check was high. Then the High-Risk Pregnancy Specialist gave her the shocking news that they were going to have to deliver her baby early—indeed that same day.
“Today?!” exclaimed Jessica. She hadn’t planned on giving birth to her fifth child for at least another month. None of her other children had been premature, so this part of the process was a new development for her. “It was very unexpected,” she says now with a laugh.
But it was quite a serious matter at the time.
Jessica had a ruptured placenta later in the day, causing some bleeding and requiring an emergency C-section. Jessica remembers having serious contractions and then getting an epidural.
When they took Jessica into surgery at 10:00 p.m. that same day, Dr. Lauren Hartwell took charge of the situation. Within just 17 minutes, baby Luke was born.
“My nurse was great,” recounts Jessica. “She sat by my side the whole time, even after surgery, telling me how things would happen, how the baby was doing.”
Luke and Jessica stayed at Bon Secours St. Francis Hospital from May 9th to June 2nd of 2023. Thanks to the generous support of donors like you, we were able to give Jessica a room at no cost next to where Luke was recovering in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU).
“That way, I could check on him frequently and updates to his condition were immediate, as opposed to me being over an hour away in Moncks Corner,” she explains. “They let me stay there until he was out of NICU. It was calming and alleviated my stress. I think to any parent, staying with your child would be amazing.”
As for Luke, he is doing very well with no major issues. “His pediatrician couldn’t believe he was premature,” laughs Jessica. “He got such good care in the NICU unit. Nurse Andrea and the others were all so great to him. She even brought Luke a going away gift on his day of departure.”
Jessica and her supportive husband, Matthew, along with their four older children, have enjoyed bonding with Luke, relieved that mother and son have both been made whole. The compassionate medical and emotional care they received at Roper St. Francis has given them a happy ending, one that wasn’t always assured.
“We are incredibly thankful that Luke is doing so well,” says Jessica. “We are forever grateful for all the nurses and doctors at the St. Francis Women and Children’s Center for ultimately saving my life and Luke’s.”
Because of your support, Jessica was able to stay with Luke during his entire stay in the NICU – an opportunity that would not have been feasible for Jessica without your philanthropic support.
