- Mandy and Kyle Knecht thanked Dr. Corey Fazio and members of the Family Birthing Center for saving their daughter Mercy's life.
A little after 1:00 a.m. on Feb. 4, 2018, Mandy Knecht of Republic, who was 36 weeks pregnant, was rushed to The Bellevue Hospital (TBH) by EMS to deliver her daughter. Mandy suffered from a prolapsed umbilical cord which posed a major health risk to her baby due to the possibility of oxygen deprivation.
“I called 9-1-1 first because I knew something wasn’t right, and then I called my husband Kyle at work and told him he needed to come home right away,” said Mandy.
After arriving at TBH, members of the Family Birthing Center met Mandy in the Emergency Department and treated her until an emergency cesarean surgery could be performed.
Laura Snyder-Elchert, registered nurse in the Family Birthing Center (FBC), recalls jumping up on the stretcher with Mandy to help hold the baby off of her umbilical cord.
“As OB/GYN nurses, there are a few things you hope you never come across – and one of them is an umbilical cord prolapse. However, in that moment, everyone on the team including surgery staff, FBC staff, respiratory staff and members of our laboratory acted efficiently and did what we had to do to keep Mandy and her baby safe until the baby could be delivered,” said Laura.
Mandy had to deliver via emergency cesarean surgery, and at 2:23 a.m., only 27 seconds after she was put under general anesthesia, a healthy girl weighing 7 lbs., 4 oz. was born. Dr. Corey Fazio, board certified in obstetrics and gynecology, performed the delivery.
“We hadn’t thought of a name for the baby before her birth. However, when I woke up in recovery, I knew her name should be Mercy, because I believe God showed us His mercy during the whole ordeal,” said Mandy.
Mandy, her husband Kyle, and Mercy showed their appreciation to Dr. Fazio and the FBC team by delivering cookies in celebration of Mercy’s first birthday, on Monday, Feb. 4.
“We wanted to recognize the labor and delivery staff for the amazing care they gave us, before and after delivery. They saved my baby’s life,” said Mandy.
“It was wonderful to see Mercy and her parents again. Taking care of expecting mothers and their babies is a passion I believe all the members of the FBC share. I also believe that knowledge is power, and TBH keeps us trained and prepared to do the best we can for our patients,” continued registered nurse Laura. “But credit is certainly due to Mercy's amazing mom. She acted fast and got the squad in route quickly. She's the real hero.”
Mercy is the couple’s fourth child. She joined siblings Gracie (age 13), Kole (age 11) and Kase (age 9).
“I can’t believe we are already celebrating her first birthday. She is a happy and healthy little girl who is spoiled by her siblings and is busy learning how to walk,” said Mandy.