"Hardships often prepare ordinary people for an extraordinary destiny" – C.S. Lewis

There are a few moments in life that define you. I've had a few of them. However, recently, I had one that changed me.

I am a daughter, a big sister, a wife to my husband Eric and a mother to two beautiful children, Blake 2 ½ and Emersyn 3 months old.

I couldn't wait to start trying to expand our family and was thrilled to find out that we got pregnant on our first try. It made for the perfect Thanksgiving announcement to our families. From the moment we conceived I knew it was a girl and I was thrilled when it got confirmed at our 18-week sonogram.

This pregnancy was completely different than when I was pregnant with my son. It was perfect! No morning sickness, I worked out my entire pregnancy, I slept great and I truly enjoyed being pregnant. Until May 19th when everything changed.

On that day at 2:15pm I started to bleed, I was 29 weeks pregnant. I knew this wasn't a good sign so I immediately left work and called my OB/GYN while instinctively driving to the hospital where I was to deliver at when it was time. By the time I got out of the car, in the short 5 minutes it took me to get there, blood was dripping down both of my legs. I was immediately hooked up to monitors to watch the baby and waited for my doctor to arrive. When he did he gave me an exam and I felt a gush of water. It was determined that my water broke. The hospital that I was at had no capabilities for me to deliver early so I was immediately sent by ambulance to the closest hospital that did. I quickly became educated on what a 29 week old baby would look like, what to expect, how long she would be in NICU for etc. I was given steroid shots to develop her lungs faster than normal and a slew of medication to stop whatever was going on. I remember thinking I'm going to have this baby tonight. Fast forward two days later and I was sent home on bed rest with the diagnosis of complete placenta previa. I had instructions that if I had anymore bleeding I needed to get to the hospital as fast as possible.

I was home, back with my family and I was confident that I would make it to my planned c-section date of July 20th. However, at 3:30am on May 27th I started to bleed, my mother raced me to the hospital, going through all the red lights. Little did I know that when I stepped out of the car on that early morning, that that would be the last breath of fresh air I would experience for the next 4 weeks.

I was admitted to the hospital and given a sonogram. I was eager to get the results. A few hours later, the maternal fetal medicine doctor came in with the sonogram machine and said, "I don't like something I saw". I knew this wasn't good, but I never thought I would receive the diagnosis that I did. She went on to explain to me that my placenta had attached to my previous c-section scar, therefore attaching itself to the uterus. The medical term for this is Placenta Accreta; the number one maternal killer with a 7% mortality rate and an incident rate of 1 in 2,500. Blood loss is the reason for the mortality rate. I was told that I wouldn't be able to carry this pregnancy to term, that if I could make it I would deliver my baby at 34 weeks and that I would need to get a hysterectomy in order to save my life. For me, the worst part of my diagnosis was missing my daughter being born due to being put under for the surgery.

After the doctor left, I burst into tears. Endless hours of research went on from my hospital room. I'm a realist, I needed to know everything that could possibly happen with Placenta Accreta. I stumbled upon an amazing support group Hope for Accreta. It was a group of women who have all been through this diagnosis and they gave it to me straight. In that moment, while it was so easy to be depressed and even angry over this diagnosis I had to be positive. I had to be positive for myself, my health, my family and for my unborn child. For the next 4 weeks I was on hospital bed rest, with my mother by my side every day and night. My husband suddenly became Mr. Mom taking care of our son. I filled my room with motivational quotes and inspiration. I put a sign on my hospital door that said "Positive attitudes only" I would allow no negative thoughts to enter my space while dealing with this. I felt it was the only way I could survive.

I was moved to a room across the hall from the OR because if I started to bleed again, I would have to have emergency surgery and delivery of our baby girl. Over the course of the weeks, I went into labor twice, both time were stopped, both times I kept my eye on the prize of my delivery date. Repeating it over and over to myself and telling my baby, today is not your birthday.

The morning of my delivery, I was eerily calm and deep down I was excited. Excited that I had made it to my delivery date and excited that this was close to coming to and end. I sat in pre-op waiting with my husband and mother and father, knowing what they were thinking, "will she survive". While waiting, I was given the best news, the doctor told us that I could stay awake for my c-section and then be put under for my hysterectomy. I was thrilled knowing that my husband would be able to see our daughter being born and that I would know that she was ok before being put to sleep.

I was wheeled into the OR with a surgical team of 30 doctors and nurses waiting. In the midst of all the commotion, I asked if they would stop and take a moment to pray with me. They did. After, I said, let's do this.

On June 15, our beautiful daughter Emersyn Grace entered this world at 4lb 15 oz and I became a SURVIVOR. My surgery took 4 hours and I stayed awake for the entire procedure. I lost 1000ml of blood and received 500ml back thanks to a transfusion.

Emersyn stayed in the NICU for 14 days and I made it there every day to see her. It wasn't until the day she came home that I didn't need a wheelchair to do so.

This experience has changed me for the better; I have a completely new and different outlook on life. It is truly a gift and you should value every single second of it because it can all change in an instance.

I hope that by sharing my story, I can not only bring awareness to Placenta Accreta, but to also let others know that when life is challenging to dig deep within yourself. For you are a lot stronger than you realize.

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Sending love, luck & calm vibes.