As told by her mother, Darla
My daughter, Christina, suffered a broken foot on January 6, 2015, just two weeks after her 30th birthday. The podiatrist put her in a walking boot and gave no restrictions.
Christina then developed calf pain and went to the ER on January 10, 2015. The ER sent her home with hydrocodone without doing a CT or D-Dimer, which would have indicated what was wrong, along with her recent start to birth control and broken foot.
On Tuesday, January 13, 2015, Christina was experiencing pain and anxiety and called another ortho office to see if she could be seen and she made an appointment for the next day.
She would never make the appointment. Tuesday evening, Christina collapsed at home, and the paramedics were called. The paramedics assumed it was an anxiety attack, and did absolutely no vitals and refused to transport. They refused oxygen even though when I arrived, she had blue lips and fingernails.
Christi was coherent, but it was a chaotic scene in the bedroom that night. The paramedics issued lorazepam 50 minutes after arrival, hoping to get her to calm down. She died on her bed within an hour from multiple pulmonary emboli.
I did not know blood clots can affect young women. I will always wish I had known. Christina’s entire story was written in my book, Forever Namaste.
Had anyone recognized the emergency of multiple pulmonary emboli, and administered the appropriate medicine, Christina would have had a chance for survival.
Thanks to Stop the Clot for information, for awareness, for working diligently so others know how deadly blood clots are and how quickly they kill. We had no time for goodbyes.
Child loss due to blood clots is a never-ending, heartbreaking journey for parents and family members who survive. Blood clots devastated our large family and took the oldest daughter suddenly. It’s been a long nine years for us, and slowly we are learning to honor, advocate, and help others.
Resources
Birth Control and Blood Clots
Know Your Risk
Signs and Symptoms of Blood Clots
