Juan Duran-Gutierrez and Aurora Chacon-Esparza were supposed to be celebrating in 2020 as they anxiously awaited the birth of their third child. However, after bringing their baby girl into the world in June, the husband reveals that tragedy struck.
Just before their daughter’s birth, Aurora contracted COVID-19. Sadly, a month after meeting her baby girl for the first time, Aurora passed away.
Aurora didn’t have any preexisting conditions and now Juan wants to keep his wife’s memory alive, not only for their three child, but so that her story can serve as a warning for those not taking this virus seriously.
According to Juan, their family, Aurora included, following all of the safety precautions in an attempt to keep COVID-10 from entering their home. But in an interview with Good Morning America, Juan said it wasn’t enough.
“She protected herself whenever she went out, I’m talking face masks, and she had a whole bunch of hand sanitizers and hand wipes in her SUV, so she was really taking care of herself,” the husband explained.
At seven months pregnant, and after isolating away from the world for a week, Aurora was admitted into the hospital. Where and how Aurora contracted the virus is unclear.
“I really thought she was going to pull through,” Juan told GMA. “She’s always been a really strong woman. She didn’t have any preexisting conditions. She was healthy.”
Sadly, despite it all, Aurora’s health began to deteriorate. Five days after being admitted into the hospital, Aurora was put on a ventilator. In two months, Aurora was supposed to turn 36.
Minnesota doctor, Dr. Todd Stanhope, an OBGYN who treated Aurora explained the mom’s rapid decline to GMA.
“She continued to get short of breath and her lung disease worsened to the point where she was struggling to breathe. I counseled both her and Juan the day that she was intubated that she was struggling to breathe and without intubation, she would have exhausted herself trying to breathe.”
Not long after that, Aurora endured an emergency c-section at 30-weeks. And although the baby girl, Andrea, only weighed four pounds, Juan says she is thriving today. Andrea was also a mom to two stepchildren.
Husband Hopes His Wife’s Story Will Encourage People to Continue Taking This Virus Seriously
“I thought until the end that she was going to make it,” Juan admitted. “I was holding her hand and talking to her.” The father was one of the lucky few who was able to be with his wife when she passed away.
Now, the family is asking for GoFundMe donations so that they can give Aurora the funeral she deserves. According to the CDC, 34,968 pregnant women have tested positive for COVID-19. Fifty of those women have passed away.
And while the first of what is sure to be many studies have revealed that pregnant women are not more likely to die from the novel coronavirus, they are more likely to become severely ill as a result of it. The husband hopes that his wife’s story will be a warning for others who are expecting during this unprecedented time.
According to GMA, pregnant women should wear face masks and practice good hand hygiene, while also social distancing to prevent contracting COVID-19. However, it is also important, according to experts, that expectant moms continue going to their doctors’ appointments and quarantine before their expected due date. Experts also say pregnant women will be safer if they also get the recommended flu and whooping cough vaccines.