My name is Tara and I was a healthy 26 years old when I found out I was pregnant. I am sharing this story because of our little miracle and in hope to increase awareness about a condition called vasa previa. I have a success story (see below) but unfortunately many women do not. I have challenged myself this year to try to increase the awareness of this condition.

My Little Miracle

I was diagnosed with Vasa Previa around 20 weeks into my pregnancy when I was having minor cramps from rushing to work in NYC. Thankfully my doctor, senior Dr. Jovanovich checked me for pre-term labor and made the discovery of the small blood vessel. He explained that it was very rare and that I shouldn’t worry about it because I was in perfect health and the baby was growing properly. I of course started to investigate it online and was shocked by the rarity of vasa previa and even more shocked by the mortality rate. My boyfriend, being an Anesthesiologist at Mount Sinai hospital, was also receiving scary statistics from his colleagues. I was optimistic through out mainly because of the positive outcomes of stories that were on the Vasa Previa website. I also found encouragement from my amazing doctor, Dr. Kevin Jovanovich, who I can not say enough wonderful things about. I found him to be much more clinically advanced and knowledgeable than most OBGYNs. Anthony also found his professionalism and knowledge to be beyond expectations. In addition, his bedside manners were beyond wonderful. If Dr. J did not have the ability to do sonograms in his office and the knowledge of vasa previa I fear that I would have never been diagnosed and Isabella may not be here with us today.

Dr Jovanovich saw me every week after the diagnosis and continued to give me positive reinforcement from there on out. I also began to see high risk specialists at Lenox Hill hospital and my case became of great interest. After some time they all agreed that I would receive steroids at 33 weeks and have a scheduled c-section at 35 weeks. I remained healthy and never had break thru bleeding. I was admitted at 33 weeks for steroids at Lenox Hill hospital and the next morning I was told that I was having contractions. It was then that my doctor and the high risk specialist began to worry and made the decision that it was in my best interest to stay in the high risk unit until I delivered on the scheduled delivery date of 4/11/07. It was a long two weeks of many opinions and an extremely interested staff. Information packets on vasa previa floated around and I was shocked again to find the rarity and the lack of knowledge of it. I was the third case of vasa previa that Lenox Hill hospital had and was told that the previous two cases ended in very unfortunate situations. I made the best of my stay at the hospital gabbing with the wonderful, positive nurses and received a few in-stay beauty treatments to put my mind at ease. My friends, family and especially Anthony’s love and support made my stay at Lenox Hill possible.

On the morning of 4/11 I was scheduled to have an amniocentesis to make sure her lungs were developed, but it was decided that it wasn’t necessary because of the small risk factor of it pushing me into labor. At 12pm I had a very smooth uncomplicated c-section with Dr. J. Isabella was born at 1:18pm and was a perfectly healthy baby. Lenox Hill was extremely prepared for my case and took many precautions with my situation. I have made it my goal this year to educate all my friends & family about vasa previa and with hope they can spread the word about this condition to prevent unnecessary tragedies. I pray and hope that one day screening for vasa previa becomes a permanent part of doctors' guidelines so more woman can have miracles like my beautiful lil Isabella.

~ Tara Herbert