Let’s help Sammie and baby Etta

Hi my name is Leah Ammann and I’m trying to help my friend, Sammie and her family with their medical expenses! Sammie is the kind of person that helps others before she helps herself. She is an amazing mother, wife and friend. I offered to get her family’s story out there :) Any donations would be appreciated!

Thank you!

On April 18 of 2023, Sammie headed to what she thought would be a routine 20 week anatomy scan for her baby girl. The appointment took an unexpected turn when baby Etta was diagnosed with a 15mm cystic hygroma. They were given an unsure prognosis, and Sammie underwent an amniocentesis to collect fluid they could test to try and find the cause of the hygroma. Etta defied the odds and kept growing and thriving, and around 2 months after their initial diagnosis Sammie and her husband Kyle found out Etta had Noonan Syndrome. The extent of the illness wouldn’t be known until she was born, but carried risks of feeding issues, breathing issues, heart problems, blood disorders, increased risk of cancer, hearing and vision problems, and more. As the pregnancy progressed Etta was monitored closely with lots of appointments and tests to make sure she was doing okay. Sammie had two preterm labor scares. She had multiple fetal echos and ultrasounds. At 32 weeks a fetal echo uncovered developing heart issues. Etta made it to full term and was born August 28th at 7:52pm weighing 6 pounds and 13oz, 18.3 inches long. After only a day and a half in the NICU, Etta was able to join her parents in the regular postpartum ward! Her echo showed the same findings as prenatally, and she was passing all her tests. She was eating amazingly, sleeping, and so happy. They were able to go home after 48 hours. Etta met her big sister Anika and the family settled into a new routine. It seemed like the stress and worry of the pregnancy was behind them, and Etta was defying expectations and thriving.

Then, 4 days postpartum, Sammie developed neck pain and a headache. After 3 days of struggling through a throbbing neck and head pain that wasn’t alleviated by Tylenol, ibuprofen, heat, cold, or anything, Sammie went in to be seen in the OB triage unit. She expected to be given a muscle relaxer and sent home, fully convinced she had just slept on her neck wrong.

Instead, they found highly elevated blood pressure and she was admitted to the hospital with severe postpartum preeclampsia. A muscle relaxer didn’t help her neck pain and so a CT scan was ordered that found a right vertebral artery dissection. An MRI confirmed no stroke or hemorrhaging, which was excellent news as the odds of having a stroke with a VAD are around 85% in the first few days and Sammie hadn’t gone in for treatment for 3 days. Her blood pressure was so high her doctors were worried it would further tear the artery and create an even higher risk of stroke. It took 4 days and two rounds of being on a magnesium IV to help get her blood pressure under control, and she was finally discharged after almost a week away from her daughters and husband on blood pressure and blood thinner medications.

Two weeks later she was readmitted as her blood pressure continued to spike and she was experiencing a lot of pain and nausea. She discharged after two days only to be admitted again 3 days later because her heart rate was dropping very low and she was lightheaded with a worsening headache. On that admission they found her dissected artery had gotten significantly worse. She went through a battery of testing and was sent home with a plan to rescan the artery in two weeks to make sure it doesn’t continue to worsen, with meds to prevent a stroke and help with the pain. Kyle took a few weeks off work to help as she has activity restrictions and is still trying to recover. She’s very happy to be home with her girls again.

Etta’s ongoing and prenatal medical needs and Sammie’s hospitalizations have put a lot of stress on the family. They have greatly appreciated an outpouring of kindness and support from their friends, family, and community.

CaringBridge

https://www.caringbridge.org/visit/babyettasfight