An unvaccinated pregnant woman lost her baby after she went into premature labor while being treated for COVID-19.
Last month, mother-of-two Kimberly Rangel, of Meridien, Idaho, contracted the virus and her health quickly declined, reported KTVB.
She was hospitalized and placed in a medically induced coma for a few weeks while doctors tried to stabilize her vitals.
However, Rangel went into premature labor and, when she woke up, she was told that her baby did not make it.
Rangel was not vaccinated and her family is now sharing her story in hopes of warning other mothers-to-be about the dangerous complications they may face if they don’t get their shots.
Mother-of-two Kimberly Rangel (pictured with her children) of Meridien, Idaho, who was pregnant with her third child, contacted COVID-19 last month and was hospitalized at St Luke’s Boise Medical Center
On September 7, while in a medically induced coma, Rangel went into premature labor and her baby boy did not survive. Pictured: A sonogram of Rangel’s baby
At the beginning of September, after weeks of battle, Rangel called her sister, Anne, and asked her to come visit, KTVB reported.
‘I got a call and she said: “Sister, I can’t do this anymore. You have to come to the hospital because I have no family here,”‘ Anne said.
‘That Sunday I was not able to find a flight and arrived at 11pm the next day.’
Rangel was placed on a ventilator at St Luke’s Boise Medical Center as doctors worked to stabilize her condition.
However, on September 7, while she was in a medically induced coma, she went into premature labor.
But the baby boy, whom Rangel had planned to name Anthony, did not survive. She only learned that he didn’t make it when she was taken out of the coma.
‘When she found out the baby did not make it, she had severe anxiety and doctors said her breathing was too heavy,’ Anne told KTVB.
‘They had to put her back in the induced coma.’
Anne said that doctors had encouraged her sister to get the COVID-19 vaccine, ensuring her that it was safe and effective.
Doctors had tried to convince Rangel (pictured) to get vaccinated before she fell ill, but she was worried the shots would harm her unborn baby, according to her sister
However, Rangel was worried about harming her unborn baby.
As of September 18, the latest day for which data is available, only 31 percent of pregnant people have received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
This is despite several studies finding that expecting mothers are at increased risk of contracting COVID-19 compared to the general population.
And, once they do all ill with the virus, they are more likely to develop severe cases or die from it.
One study from the University of Washington in Seattle found pregnant women infected with Covid were 3.5 times more likely to be hospitalized with complications and nearly 14 times more likely to die than younger Americans.
Expectant mothers who have COVID-19 also more likely to experience complications with their pregnancies.
Another study from the University of Oxford in the UK, found mothers-to-be had a 76 percent higher risk of developing preeclampsia – a pregnancy complication characterized by high blood pressure – and 59 percent more likely to give birth prematurely.
Last month, the CDC encouraged pregnant women to get vaccinated against COVID-19 after previously saying pregnant women were just ‘eligible’
Only 31% of pregnant women are vaccianted (dark blue line) and the CDC urges pregnant women to get vaccinated because they are at an increased risk of severe disease and death due to COVID-19
The agency amended its recommendation after studies found that COVID-19 vaccines do not increase the risk of miscarriage.
Rangel is still hospitalized, and Anne told KTVB that she wants to share her sister’s story to warn others about the dangers of being unvaccinated.
‘The virus is real. Don’t wait for a severe case to reach your families,’ she told the station.
‘Take precautions now by using masks and getting vaccinated. I do believe using masks and getting vaccinated will help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.’
A GoFundMe page has been set up to help cover medical expenses and pay for a funeral for baby Anthony.
As of Monday, nearly $1,800 has been raised out of a $5,000 goal.