A week after giving birth to her second daughter, Amelia Laytham's focus was on baby Jocelyn's and big sister Vera's sleep schedules; on breastfeeding her newborn; on the balancing act that parents navigate. The morning she was scheduled to bring Jocelyn to the pediatrician for her first checkup, Amelia woke up feeling like someone was sitting on her chest. "I could breathe just fine," Amelia said.
"I didn't feel any kind of strain on my chest, only that my heart seemed to be struggling to pump. Plus, my left arm and leg had been numb, but I just attributed that to holding a baby all the time." She was sweating a lot that morning, too.
Even a routine trip up and down the stairs caused her to perspire. But it was August, and everyone was sweating. Still, it was clear something was going on.
Amelia and her husband, Chris, never imagined the problem was her heart. Why would they? Amelia was 29 and in good health. At the pediatrician's office, the Laythams told a nurse about Amelia's symptoms.
Immediately, she led Amelia to an examination room while Chris took the baby to another exam room for her checkup. When he told the pediatrician why his wife wasn't with him, she dashed off to check on Amelia. The results of a heart test led to Amelia being rushed to the hospital.
There, doctors determined she needed more advanced care than their facility offered. So, Amelia was taken by ambulance to the hospital where, only a week earlier, she had given birth to Jocelyn. Doctors there dete.