There are two distinct hospital visits that have changed my life forever. The first,
was being told I was pregnant, and the second, was being told I was in labour and
about to deliver my daughter preterm.
The first visit was on January 25th , 2022 when I went to the ER for excruciating
abdominal cramping. As I was laying on the bed, the ER doctor came into the room and
had informed me that I was pregnant. We were both shocked, as I had taken at home
urine tests that read negative and even the hospitals urine test was negative. The
blood work that was done during my visit was the only thing showing positive. I was
transferred to a larger hospital with a maternity ward where I would see an OBGYN.
Once at Penticton Regional hospital, the pain kept getting worse. My OBGYN
wanted to confirm that my pregnancy was not ectopic, so I was sent for an emergency
laparoscopy. Luckily, it was not ectopic. The pain began to settle, and I was discharged
home. I was given a due date of October 4th , 2022.
bleed heavily. I returned to the ER where I had an ultrasound and was told I had a
massive subchorionic hemorrhage. There was nothing they could do for it, so I
continued to bleed for 4 weeks straight. During this time, I was getting very sick every
day and eventually ended up developing hyperemesis gravidarum. I was in and out of
the ER for dehydration due to vomiting too many times to count. We had a few more
ultrasounds, and found out we were having a baby girl.
Then just shy of 20 weeks pregnant, I began bleeding heavily again. I went
straight to the maternity ward in Penticton and was seen by an OBGYN. Our baby girl
still had a very strong heartbeat and was doing well. I was sent home, only to return 5
days later when the bleeding became too much. I was admitted to the ward, and stayed
there for over a week. During this week, my water must have broken without me
knowing and I was slowly leaking amniotic fluid. I received an iron infusion and
medications to try to stop the bleeding. I was told that once I made it to 23 weeks, I would
be transferred to BC Women’s hospital and she would be in the NICU if I gave birth early.
On Monday, May 23rd, I began having contractions that came on fairly regularly. Through the evening they got more intense and closer together and no pain medication was helping. My OBGYN checked, and there was no fluid surrounding our daughter. I was also 2 cm dilated at that point. I made the call to my fiancé, Ryan, and my parents to come to the hospital as delivery of our baby girl was imminent. While in labour, I developed a high fever and an infection in my uterus as my water had been broken for so long. My OB induced me, and our sweet angel Zaria Louisa McCaskill was born at 7:15am on May 24th, 2022. I was 21 weeks’ gestation exactly. She was born alive and passed away on my chest 10 minutes later.
Zaria is loved and missed by many. We cherish the precious moments we had with her while she peacefully rested on my chest until she passed. Myself, Ryan and my parents were able to be with her and hold her for hours that day. Zaria will forever be in our hearts and will never be forgotten.
*This story of beautiful Zaria was bravely shared by her mother Katrina Yorston.
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