Nearly four weeks ago, Indiana mother Autumn Carver delivered her “rainbow baby” two months early through an emergency cesarean section, her family said.
She has yet to be able to hold her newborn son — Huxley Elias Carver — as she’s hospitalized with COVID-19.
Autumn, 34, was hospitalized with COVID-19 complications in late August, according to a post on Facebook page “A Healing for Autumn.”
At seven months pregnant, she was put on a ventilator before her emergency c-section, the post says. Following the delivery of her third child, Autumn Carver was placed on an ECMO machine that helps give tired lungs time to recover.
“There have been many ups and downs to this point, but Zach is giving Autumn every possible opportunity to fight for her life,” the post says.
Zach and Autumn are high school sweethearts who have been married for nine years, WRTV reported.
She was not vaccinated against the coronavirus, the station reported, as she and her husband wanted to wait following three miscarriages. Huxley is a rainbow baby, which is the term used to describe a baby following the loss of a child.
“Autumn needs lots and lots of prayers. (We’re) asking any good thoughts, good vibes,” Zach told WRTV. “If you’re a religious person pray. Her lungs need to heal that’s the only thing wrong with her at this point. The rest of her body is super strong. Her lung was damaged with this infection.”
She now needs a double lung transplant, WRTV reported, but she needs to be in better health before she’ll be considered for new lungs.
" ... We tried to get Autumn Carver into many hospitals across the country for a double lung transplant today, but she did not qualify for any of them unfortunately,” Zach shared in a Facebook post on Friday. “We are praying and still have hope. We are not giving up on Autumn. The doctors say she will not make it, but I know Autumn and she is still fighting. I am going to give her every chance available. They are telling me her lungs will not heal, but so many have reached out and said give her time.”
Monday, Zach shared that while many doors have closed, they are still networking for “possibilities of a transplant.”
On Tuesday, he shared that his family has been in communication with doctors across the country in hopes of finding his wife new lungs.
That same day, Autumn woke up from sedation and was alert enough to nod her head “yes” when a nurse asked if she’d like to see her husband.
“I was in the visitors room with friends and family when they called and told me,” Zach wrote. “I moved very quickly as you could imagine. She was falling back asleep as I entered the room but she gave me some ‘winks,’ blinking to show me she was there. Truly an amazing feeling. I am so proud of her.”
Baby Huxley, born with a full head of hair, is “doing great,” his family said.
On Aug. 11, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released new data showing COVID vaccines are safe while pregnant. This was just weeks before Autumn was hospitalized.
“CDC encourages all pregnant people or people who are thinking about becoming pregnant and those breastfeeding to get vaccinated to protect themselves from COVID-19,” said CDC Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky. “The vaccines are safe and effective, and it has never been more urgent to increase vaccinations as we face the highly transmissible Delta variant and see severe outcomes from COVID-19 among unvaccinated pregnant people.”
The CDC has reported 123,633 COVID-19 cases in pregnant women between Jan. 22, 2020 and Sept. 20, 2021. There have been 159 COVID-related deaths in pregnant women during that same timeframe.
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