“He just leaned back and passed out,” said Breanna Adams. “He’s a big guy so I just held his head as he fell to the floor.”
When Ja’Ron Petty unexpectedly collapsed late one evening at home, his girlfriend Breanna knew what to do. She dialed 911 while continuing to hold him in her arms, which was complicated by the fact she was just weeks away from delivering their baby.
Thankfully, paramedics arrived quickly and rushed Ja’Ron to the emergency department at SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis where he was soon admitted to the Telemetry Unit to monitor his heart.
Within 24 hours of admission, SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis doctors discovered that Ja’Ron suffered from pericarditis and endocarditis, rare and life-threatening conditions that cause swelling around the heart, specifically the heart’s sac, chambers, and valves.
But before long, a rapid response team was called to his bedside; it was clear Ja’Ron’s condition was deteriorating. He was in septic shock and his organs were beginning to fail. He was transferred to the intensive care unit where his care team first inserted a breathing tube and later determined he needed to be intubated and placed on life support to be kept alive.
Breanna was terrified of losing him. At his bedside, she demanded he not leave her, saying, “I can’t take care of this family without you.” But in a medically induced coma, Ja’Ron laid still. He was on life support and his future was uncertain.
With her delivery date approaching, Breanna pleaded with the staff to find a way for Ja’Ron to be present for the birth of their son. So after eight days, DePaul Hospital’s care team carefully reversed Ja’Ron’s medically induced coma and he soon regained consciousness.
Finally, he opened his eyes for the first time since collapsing on the floor. His first words were “What month is it?” A nearby nurse replied, “It’s the beginning of July.” Ja’Ron uttered, “Good, I didn’t miss the baby being born.”
As fate would have it, Breanna’s water broke within the week. She was rushed to the Family Birthplace at SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis, where Ja’Ron was still battling blood and heart infections.
The next day, Ja’Ron was placed in a wheelchair and escorted to the delivery room by his care team, just in time to witness the birth of his son, Adoness. Even though he still had two surgery drainage tubes coming from his lungs and one from his throat, he mustered the strength to hold his son – a father’s first embrace.
Days later, one major drainage tube supporting lung function was removed. The second tube was removed soon after, signaling that Ja’Ron’s condition was stabilizing.
It was still a few weeks before Ja’Ron was discharged from the hospital and returned home. Doctors suspect an infected tooth was the source of his illness. Now, thanks to the timely diagnosis and exceptional care he received at SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis, Ja’Ron is recovering at home with his family as a full-time father, grateful to be alive.
Learn more about SSM Health DePaul Hospital - St. Louis.
Don’t risk it. If you or a loved one show signs of a serious, life-threatening illness, seek immediate medical attention by calling 911.
