She was less than two pounds

Jenna Book, a mother in Altona, Manitoba, shares her story:

My diagnosis was HELLP Syndrome, a life-threatening pregnancy disorder. The only way to resolve it is to deliver the baby and placenta. In my case, only 26 weeks into my pregnancy.

After a whirlwind 24 hours, our baby was delivered by emergency C-section on July 22nd. They warned us that because she was premature, she might not be breathing. But I knew we were in good hands.

It was a girl! And she was crying! Hearing her cries, I knew she had a fighting chance.

She weighed just 1 pound, 10 ounces at birth. We named her Averie.

I stayed at risk of stroke, seizure, liver failure and other serious complications for up to 48 hours after the delivery.

I was hospitalized for 6 days, 3 of them in the Hospital’s Maternity Intensive Care Unit until I was stable. It would be 4 days until I was healthy enough to hold my daughter for the first time.

The money you can give is literally life-saving. My husband and I get to enjoy our family, the outcome of St. Boniface Hospital Foundation donor support, every single day. Others in a position like ours need your help now.


We’re the Book family, and this is our St. Boniface Hospital story. Donate to help families like ours. 


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