Portuguese Woman Gave Birth To A Child After Brain Death

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Katarina Sequeira: the amazing story of a girl who gave birth to a son 3 months after her own death

In March 2019, the world was shocked by the news of the birth of a boy named Salvador, whose mother died three months before giving birth. Portuguese athlete Catarina Sequeira suffered from asthma since childhood and after another attack was taken to the hospital. The girl was in the 16th week of pregnancy and, despite the fact that her brain died, the doctors gave the baby the opportunity to be born.

The story of Katharina Sequeira and her newborn son

Catarina Sequeira was born in the small Portuguese town of Crestum and raised in a poor family with many children. The girl had eight brothers, including a twin brother named Antonio. All the children in the family were fond of canoeing, but only Katarina was involved in this sport professionally. And this despite the fact that in childhood the girl was diagnosed with a serious illness - asthma. Friends-athletes remember Katarina as a fragile and very friendly girl.

In 2014, Katarina ended her career, because she had to get a job. Then the girl left the sport and became a secretary. According to the parents and friends of Katarina, she was completely healthy and did not experience serious problems due to asthma attacks.

Katarina Sequeira was an ambitious girl with great goals, who always knew how to win

In 2018, Katarina found out that she was expecting a child from her lover. The athlete lived with a young military man named Bruno for five years. The couple dreamed of a child, but it was a difficult time for the girl, because during the period of carrying a baby, Katharina's asthma attacks became more frequent. During the next attack, the girl lost consciousness and fell into a coma. For several days, doctors fought for the life of Katharina, who during this time suffered a heart attack. Six days after the fateful day, doctors pronounced brain death. Katarina, 26, was 16 weeks pregnant.

Katarina was taken to Gaia hospital on December 20 after she passed out after an acute asthma attack

After the ascertaining of the brain death of the expectant mother, the doctors faced the question of what to do with her child. Experts discussed the situation at the ethics committee, took into account the opinion of relatives and came to the conclusion that Katharina's body will be maintained in a vegetative state so that the fetus develops. Katarina's young man admitted that he dreams of becoming a father, so he will take full responsibility for the child.

Katarina's mother and her lover decided to keep the girl's body in a vegetative state to enable the fetus to develop

The three months during which Catarina's body was in the São João hospital were very difficult for the girl's relatives. According to one of the friends of the former athlete, she believed that at the moment the baby was born, Katarina would wake up. On March 28, a boy was born, who was given the name Salvador. The child's father was present at the operation. Data appeared in the baby's documents - 1600 grams, 41 centimeters. After the operation, little Salvador was sent to intensive care, but the doctors had optimistic forecasts. The day after giving birth, Katarina Sequeira was disconnected from the life support apparatus and buried.

The story of Katharina Sequeira and her baby temporarily united the whole country. Materials about the tragic life of the girl did not leave the front pages of newspapers. Katarina's young man did not comment and asked journalists to respect this decision. And the girl's mother gave a short interview on the day of the funeral. According to the woman, she did not see her grandson, as she was engaged in the funeral. The young grandmother first wanted to say goodbye to her daughter, and then to accept a new person into her life.

The incredible story of Catarina Sequeira and her newborn son temporarily united the whole of Portugal

According to the mother of Katharina Sequeira, her daughter has always been an independent and strong girl. Despite her illness, the girl never demanded indulgences, trained hard and was a real fighter. Due to another asthma attack, the expectant mother died, but she gave life to little Salvador, whose birth story shocked the whole world.