The family of a swine flu coma victim feared they may have to choose between saving her or her unborn boy, but they are now rejoicing that both are on the road to recovery.
Fallon Devaney, 25, regained consciousness last night. After waking, she assumed she must have lost her unborn son.
But tears welled up in her eyes when a midwife let her listen to her baby boy’s heartbeat. She is five months into her pregnancy.
Relief
The baby’s father, 30-year-old David Bowler, said: “When Fallon woke from the coma she didn’t even think the baby was still inside her.
“But we told her it was and he was doing fine.
“Then the midwife came down and saw Fallon and let her listen to the baby’s heartbeat which was great but made her a bit teary.”
Stable
A hospital spokesman said: “She is no longer critical and is now stable.” Her relatives said they are “happy but still cautious” because she has yet to fully recover.
Miss Devaney, from Kirk Hallam in Derbyshire, was rushed to hospital last week after struggling for breath. Medics diagnosed her as suffering from swine flu.
She was placed in an induced coma in an attempt to save her and her baby’s life but she went on to develop pneumonia.
Agonising
At one point Miss Devaney’s family were told they might have to choose to induce the baby boy, risking his life, in order to save hers.
But thankfully she regained consciousness and the family are now optimistic that the baby will survive too.
She is still battling the illness in a Nottingham hospital.
