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Stephen and Heather Krepelka, with 2-month-old daughter, Isabelle, credit BWH staff’s quick response for saving the lives of Stephen and Isabelle.
The birth of Heather and Stephen Krepelka’s third child on Oct. 4 was supposed to be a joyous milestone in the couple’s seven-year marriage.
But that day of hope ended with the newborn and Stephen Krepelka fighting for their lives in different parts of the hospital. Thankfully, BWH doctors, nurses and other staff delivered life saving care when the Krepelka family needed it the most.
“A lot could have gone wrong for our family that day,” said Heather Krepelka, an eighth-grade science teacher in Arlington. “Miraculously, we are here today counting our blessings, and we can’t say enough about everyone who helped our family stay together.”
The day began around 6 a.m. with Heather delivering Isabelle via emergency Caesarean section at BWH, but the newborn had no heartbeat. Neonatologist Stella Kourembanas, MD, who is also chief of the Harvard Division of Newborn Medicine, and her team rushed into action and successfully resuscitated Isabelle. After she was stabilized, Isabelle was transferred to Children’s Hospital Boston for induced hypothermia in order to keep her from suffering brain damage.
Just 14 hours later, Stephen Krepelka was walking with his mother to the 75 Francis St. lobby, when he suddenly collapsed outside of the Emergency Room back door. Within seconds, BWH staff responded to Krepelka, whom doctors would later diagnose with a ruptured aortic dissection, which is a tear in the aorta, the major blood vessel exiting the heart.
“If he had collapsed anywhere else other than the hospital, he would not have survived,” said Michael Davidson, MD, of Cardiac Surgery, who performed an eight-hour operation along with Dan Wiener, MD, to fix the ruptured aortic root dissection, including repairing his aortic valve, re-implanting the coronary arteries and replacing the aorta with a synthetic graft. Davidson credits the teamwork of all staff involved in caring for Stephen Krepelka, including ER staff, the BWH cardiac surgery team, anesthesiologists, perfusionists, nurses, technologists and those in the intensive care unit.
Stephen Krepelka knows he was fortunate to have been at the right place. A police detective and 10-year veteran of the Arlington Police Department, he had planned to witness Isabelle’s birth and then return home to care for his two other daughters, Madeline, 4, and Julia, 2. However, the complications of Isabelle’s birth required him to stay longer at BWH, going back and forth between both Children’s and CWN-9.
“I can’t imagine being home with my two other daughters and collapsing like this,” said Krepelka, who doesn’t remember much of the two days after his collapse.
With both Isabelle and Stephen in critical condition, Heather Krepelka was thankful for the support she received from BWH staff, especially her care team on CWN-9.
“I remember vividly how everyone helped me through this, assuring me that things were going to be ok,” she said. “Everyone was so kind and offered so much hope during the most difficult time in my life.”
Another person she remembers is Barbara Robinson, MD, a cardiothoracic fellow in the Division of Cardiac Surgery, who had to break the news to Heather that her husband needed emergent surgery. Heather, having just undergone her own surgery, also was worried about the status of her newborn.
“I remember giving her the biggest hug and just saying ‘thank you’ for all they did to save Stephen,” said Heather Krepelka.
Robinson worked along with ED staff, general and cardiac surgery residents and cardiac Surgery ICU nurses to open Stephen’s chest in a team effort and kept him stable before transferring him to the OR for emergency surgery.
“This is exactly why we do what we do,” said Robinson, who was also touched by the Krepelkas. “We are able to help patients, see them get better and return them to their families to live a normal life.”
Both Stephen Krepelka and Isabelle continue to improve. Isabelle’s pediatrician said she is progressing very well with no sign of brain damage. Meanwhile, Stephen is regaining his strength and hopes to return to work later this year.
“The way I see it, Isabelle saved my life,” he said. “I would not be here right now if not for her and everyone’s help at BWH.”