My name is Marya and I live in the Tampa, FL area of the USA. My little girl, Rebekah, is a vasa previa survivor and was born July 6, 1999.

In May of 1999 I was beginning the last trimester of my pregnancy (my sixth, I have two older children and have had three miscarriages). A prior ultrasound showed the placenta a little low, but nothing to be concerned. That May, during one week, I was not feeling well with cold symptoms. Rebekah's movements had slowed enough to really concern me, and I called the doctor. He said I should go to the hospital and let them put me on the monitor. That went fine, they said she was slow because I wasn't feeling well. Well, while I was there the doctor ordered another ultrasound and that is when they found the vasa previa as well as a partial placenta previa. They sent me home on modified bed rest for a few weeks. My doctor grew increasingly concerned, I live 26 miles from the hospital and I was the first patient he had ever had with it, and he knew if something happened they would not get me to the hospital in time. So in the middle of June, I was hospitalized for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was told over and over again to tell someone of the slightest spotting and under no circumstances to allow anyone to do anything internally. The high risk specialist said to perform an amnio at 36 weeks; if lung function was adequate, to take the baby then, if not, to wait another week and take her no matter what, the situation being too dangerous to continue beyond that point. It was a very difficult time for my family, especially for my 3 year old who didn't understand why I was in the hospital. Well, she was not ready so they waited another week until July 6 via C-section. C-section went fine, but she was having trouble breathing and was sent to NICU. She stayed there for two weeks. When I got her home, she was 5.7 lbs. Now, at almost one year old she is 18 lbs. and is a few months behind developmentally, sees a occupational therapist once a week to help her catch up. I have wondered if her small size and developmental problems were due to the vasa previa (my 2nd child was 10 lbs.).

~ Marya Mesa