Woman gives birth while recovering from stroke

Ariene Vili, who is 33 and lives in Derby, had a stroke about 20 weeks into her pregnancy

A man whose wife had a stroke while she was pregnant with their son wants to thank people for the support they have given.

Ariene Vili was about 20 weeks into her pregnancy when an aneurysm in her brain ruptured.

She has now been in hospital for two and a half months and was scheduled to have a caesarean section in August.

However, she unexpectedly started going into labour on Sunday, and delivered her baby by caesarean while still recovering from her stroke.

'It's very hard'

Her husband, Mark Sabrick Audea, said he was "very, very thankful" to people who had given support - both practical and emotional - and also donated money.

"It's very hard if you don't have family to lean on here but still we have friends who have helped," said Mr Audea, who is from the Philippines but currently lives in Derby.

Speaking about his friends, Mr Audea said: "They always look after me, they ask me to eat with them, and sometimes they walk with me, and if I feel a bit emotional I let it out and tell them."

His wife is a renal nurse at the Royal Derby Hospital, and he said colleagues there had been supportive too.

"I'm very, very thankful to the people in the Royal Derby," he said.

Mr Audea, 35, feared he might lose his wife and their unborn child

Ms Vili was taken to hospital by ambulance on 7 May, after suffering from a severe headache and losing her vision.

"It was totally black and she couldn't see anyone but still she managed to call 999," said her husband.

She was originally taken to the Royal Derby Hospital.

"When I went there I was really, really devastated, because every time I saw this it's only in a movie, and this time it's happening in front of me," said Mr Audea.

At the time he feared he might lose both his wife and their unborn child.

"The doctor is telling me, 'don't lose hope'. Everything at that time was too much and I could not think straight."

Born prematurely

She was transferred to the Queen's Medical Centre in Nottingham, where she has had surgery to her brain twice.

She has been at that hospital ever since, and was scheduled to have her baby on 12 August.

However, she started bleeding when she was 34 weeks pregnant, and the couple's son was born on 21 July.

"Now the baby is still in an incubator and they're monitoring him because the oxygen is not good and the pulse and the respiration is not good, but they're reassuring me that they will keep closely monitoring him," said Mr Audea.

Ms Vili is still in hospital and does not yet know when she can go home

People have donated more than £9,000 online to help the couple financially while she recovers from her stroke and having the baby.

Mr Audea normally works as a carer in a care home but is not currently working due to his wife's illness.

He has not yet been told when she and their newborn son will be able to go home.

"She will need the full rehab because her left side is very, very weak and it cannot move at all," he said.

"Hopefully I can manage to bring her mother to help us here."

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