A Mother's Miraculous Recovery from Rare Heart Condition

Casey Gould, 33, experienced a life-threatening cardiac event during the birth of her son on November 1, 2024, leading to a dramatic nine-day fight for her life in the intensive care unit.

Her son's heart rate dropped during labor, necessitating an emergency C-section. After the delivery, doctors discovered Gould's own heart was in crisis.

Doctors found Gould's heart function was severely reduced, with an ejection fraction of just 13%.

She was immediately placed in a medically induced coma, connected to a ventilator, and moved to the cardiac ICU. To support her failing heart, a cardiologist implanted an Impella heart pump—a device that helps the heart rest and recover by taking over its pumping function.

Understanding Peripartum Cardiomyopathy

The diagnosis was peripartum cardiomyopathy, a rare condition where the heart muscle weakens in the final month of pregnancy or within months after delivery.

According to Dr. Adam Small of NYU Langone, this condition occurs in approximately 1 in 5,000 pregnancies. Known risk factors can include socioeconomic status, higher maternal age, and previous pregnancies.

Symptoms often involve shortness of breath. Gould reported an unusual feeling of dread before her cardiac event, which Dr. Small noted could have been caused by physiological factors like fluid in the lungs or low blood pressure.

The Path to Recovery

Gould spent nine days in the ICU before beginning her recovery, which she has since described as "pretty miraculous." Her heart has recovered normal function.

Upon waking from the coma, she was unaware of the severity of her situation. "I had to be informed I was in the cardiac ICU," she stated.

While her physical recovery has been remarkable, the medical journey continues. Gould remains on medication and will require lifelong cardiology monitoring.

Dr. Small emphasized that even with full recovery, future pregnancies for individuals who have experienced this condition are considered high-risk.

Gould has since shared her story at a medical conference, raising awareness of the condition. Her son, whose birth precipitated the emergency, is now reported to be a healthy one-year-old.