"She's in, one word, perfect."
Alicia Graf of Glassboro, New Jersey can't help but dote on her baby girl Elliana. She and her husband Matt had always dreamed of having a family.
They met as teenagers, dated throughout high school and college and then got married in 2009. Shortly after, Alicia was expecting.
"We were ecstatic, so happy, it was everything we always wanted," she said.
But her perfect pregnancy turned nearly tragic.
Alicia went into Virtua Voorhees to be induced on December 26th, the same day a massive snow storm was hitting.
Nurses say Alicia's water broke and then out of nowhere she collapsed and her heart stopped.
"Just like that she was out," Matt said.
Registered nurse Jennifer Travis, said "We knew we were dealing with an obstetric emergency and the most important thing is to get her in the right spot for the welfare of her and her baby."
Nurses, doctors and anesthesiologists rushed Alicia to the operating room. They performed CPR as Dr. Susanne Adamson performed a Cesarean-section. The baby was okay, but Alicia's blood stopped clotting and she was bleeding out. She had a rare condition called amniotic fluid emboli.
"There's no warning signs, can't predict it, can't prevent it, it just happens," Dr. Susanne Adamson of Virtua Voorhees and OB/GYN Specialists said.
Dr. Adamson says 50-percent of women who this happens to, don't make it. But in this case Alicia was fortunate. The quick response of her medical team, and the Red Cross coming through the snow during a state emergency to deliver more blood helped save her.
The weight of what had happened still overwhelms Alicia. "It's really scary, I'm just so thankful. She's everything and he's everything to me. This is what I have looked forward to my whole life."
So this mother's day, Alicia and Matt are taking nothing for granted. They're thanking their own mothers who were with them throughout this ordeal. And they plan on spending as much time as possible with Elliana.
"We will take any moment, any time we can get with her," Alicia said.
Alicia is still doing physical therapy but has gained back most of her strength.
Although that condition, amniotic fluid emboli, is extremely rare, we're told it is something Virtua practices responding to in drills. The team there is very happy Alicia will be celebrating Mother's Day at home.
