Anali was adamant about seeing her daughter before being discharged. She needed to bid farewell and catch a glimpse of her, despite the earlier assumption of her passing at birth. In the morning, when they finally opened the small drawer late at night, the baby stirred, gazed at her, and cried like a kitten. The tale of Lucy Abigail fluctuated between moments of elation and terror, ultimately becoming the narrative of a baby who defied death twice.
12 years after the most terrible night of her life, Anali reflects on her experience. She wanted to say goodbye to her daughter but was still afraid of what she might find. She remembers that her daughter was born prematurely at 6 months gestation, and her fear was that the baby might not be fully formed. It was almost midnight on Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012, where Anali struggled as she walked through the hospital corridor, her nightgown removed and her gaze distant.
Her husband walked beside her, holding her arm, while her brother and sister-in-law accompanied them. The cool autumn night air filled the silent space between the cold tiles and high ceilings of the public hospital. Their destination was the morgue, driven by Anali’s insistence on saying goodbye to her stillborn daughter, who had been there for 12 hours.
Upon reaching the morgue, they were greeted by a security guard who allowed them entry inside. The clerk retrieved a small drawer from the cooling chamber and placed it on a countertop. With a deep breath, Anali attempted to open the drawer with her hands, only to find the lid already nailed shut. Even with Fabian’s help, they couldn’t open it manually.
They had to resort to improvising using an anvil for some privacy. Slowly, Anali lifted the lid of the small drawer and peered around the counter. At first, she saw nothing but her daughter covered with a white cloth. With trembling hands, she removed the cloth, fearing what she might see. As she uncovered her daughter’s tiny body, she saw a little hand emerging. She took a deep breath and continued to uncover the face. And then it happened.
Her daughter turned her head and looked at her. The memory of those shining eyes remains etched in Anali’s mind. She recalls the moment vividly, with the noise of the cooling chamber starting and a gentle breeze, like a kitten’s purr. Startled, Anali jumped back, but when she looked around, she realized that no one else had heard anything. For a moment, Anali questioned her sanity, but then she approached her daughter again, silently trembling. And to her disbelief, when she looked at her daughter once more, she was awake.
“I didn’t know how, but I yelled at the security guard, ‘Ma’am, why is my baby moving?'” The woman jumped out of her chair, rushed over, and saw the baby’s movements. Desperately, she lifted the baby, attempting to hear her heartbeat. Beside her, Anali collapsed to her knees on the ground.
The final image captures Anali’s brother running wildly through the same corridor they had entered earlier, now with the baby pressed against his chest. He described the sensation as akin to carrying a little bottle of ice tightly against his body. Anali recalls how Lucy Abigail had been presumed dead at birth and had somehow survived almost 12 hours in the refrigeration chamber of the morgue at Pirano Hospital in Resisten Chako, a public building with over 100 years of history. Despite her dark skin, Lucy appeared purple, with a layer of frost covering her body. No one knows for certain if the chamber had functioned properly, but typically these conservation chambers maintain temperatures between 1 and 2°C.
The remainder of the story is no longer about Lucy Abigail Veron; it’s a narrative that shook Argentina over the course of 12 years. There were more questions than answers. Anali had arrived at the hospital referred by her obstetrician after being diagnosed with a pregnancy complication known as a total occlusion of the placenta. This condition meant that the placenta was blocking the birth canal and had begun to detach at 6 months of gestation. She experienced profuse bleeding, as clearly documented in her health notebook, which indicated a need for a cesarean section.
Reflecting on the events of 2012, when the term “obstetric violence” was not commonly used, Anali recalled that everything that transpired fit uncomfortably into that category. Upon her arrival, medical staff treated her unborn child as if she were already deceased, even labeling her with a bracelet indicating abortion. Despite feeling her baby move constantly, Anali’s concerns were dismissed. She vividly remembers the moments when medical personnel touched her, despite her request for them not to, and one of these touches resulted in her amniotic sac rupturing. Despite her insistence that it was amniotic fluid, she was told it was just urine.
Another patient named Taia, a 29-year-old mother of four, was also present. She had prior experience with the process of breaking the amniotic sac. They performed ultrasounds and openly discussed their observations in front of her. However, they couldn’t come to an agreement. One claimed to see a little foot protruding due to the ruptured sac, while the other disagreed.
Days passed, including the holiday of April 2nd, and on the morning of the 3rd, Anali began vomiting a green substance. The last thing she recalls is one of the doctors placing monitoring equipment on her while Lucy continued to move inside her. She was then taken to the delivery room, where a cesarean section was indicated due to Lucy’s breach position.
In a chilling recollection, Anali describes how one doctor instructed the others to leave her alone, suggesting they let her expel on her own. They placed a flat object under her as if preparing for the birth of a stillborn baby. It was 10:20 in the morning when, as Anali recounts, she was injected with something and fell unconscious, unable to see, hear, or know if her daughter cries.
Anali finds herself waking up at noon without any understanding of what had transpired. The continuum of obstetric violence, or in this case, inhuman treatment, persisted in its various forms. A nurse approached her, asking who would register the baby, to which Anali responded that her husband was outside. Shortly after, another nurse approached, asking if Anali wanted to know the cause of her daughter’s death. Overwhelmed and paralyzed by the news, Anali couldn’t bring herself to respond. Eventually, Fabian, her husband, entered the room to see her. He was already aware of the situation but had not yet found the courage to visit the morgue alone.
“My brother says he’ll never forget the look on my face as I lay on that bed. I appeared lost, as if someone with a crazed expression lurked behind my eyes. Beneath that facade was a mother grappling with the unthinkable. What does one do in such cases? How do you cope when faced with the reality of losing a child? How do you explain the death of a 12-year-old, a 9-year-old, and 5-year-old to another child? How can you explain the death of a child to his own mother?”
Now, they’re arranging my voluntary discharge on the same day I gave birth. I hastily dressed to leave. All I wanted was to see her before going home. I was still caught in that limbo where death feels like a distant announcement, where there’s still time before the full weight of absence sets in. I didn’t feel anything. It was as if I was just going through the motions. I didn’t feel the pain of losing a child, not yet. I knew I needed to see her, to say goodbye to Lucy before the inevitable. It was my only chance to bid her farewell.
After Anali’s aunt sent an email to a television channel, there were a few moments of silence. The news spread throughout the country, with the press fluctuating between horror and miracle, much like Anali felt herself. She publicly denounced what had happened, while Fabian, her husband, smiled for the cameras, overwhelmed by the undeniable joy of having their daughter alive. By then, the baby was already named Lucy Abigail, a name symbolizing miracles and light.
For significant events during the last days of pregnancy, imbued with meaning by Anali. Afterward, however, amidst their gratitude for Lucy’s survival, Anali and her family began to confront the hospital with allegations of negligence and obstetric violence. Anali’s accusations were grounded in several key points. Firstly, she argued that the hospital failed to provide proper care throughout her pregnancy and delivery, despite clear indications for medical intervention.
Secondly, she highlighted the repeated disregard for her concerns and requests by the medical staff, who ignored her reports of symptoms and failed to listen to her pleas for necessary medical procedures. Furthermore, Anali emphasized the mismanagement of her labor and delivery, citing delays in essential interventions and mishandling of Lucy Abigail’s critical condition at birth. This negligence, she contended, not only resulted in physical harm but also inflicted significant emotional and psychological trauma upon her and her family.
Moreover, Anali criticized the lack of accountability from the hospital, pointing to attempts to cover up mistakes and a failure to take responsibility for the harm caused. She called for justice, accountability, and systemic changes to prevent similar tragedies in the future. Through her advocacy, Anali sought to shed light on the systemic issues within the healthcare system and ensure that others do not suffer the same fate as Lucy Abigail.
Despite Lucy being alive, the prognosis was grim, casting a shadow over the family’s newfound joy. An alarming 90% of her brain function was compromised, presenting significant challenges for her development and quality of life.
The commotion within the hospital was palpable, with rumors swirling about threats targeting hospital staff from disgruntled parties affected by Lucy’s miraculous survival. The tension reached its peak when, at just 12 days old, Lucy suffered a cardiac arrest, plunging her family into despair. Yet, against all odds, medical professionals managed to resuscitate her, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the darkness.
Five months after her tumultuous birth, Lucy finally returned home, marking a bittersweet milestone for her family. However, the reality of Lucy’s condition became painfully apparent as they adjusted to life with a fragile newborn. Lucy required constant medical attention, reliant on an oxygen backpack and tracheostomy for her respiratory needs. Her inability to feed from breasts or bottles added another layer of complexity, necessitating the use of a gastric button for nourishment.
Despite the grim prognosis delivered by doctors, Anali refused to succumb to despair. Fueled by resilience and determination, she adamantly rejected the notion that Lucy’s life was predetermined by medical predictions. Instead, she clung to hope, declaring, “With everything that had happened, I didn’t want to resign.” Anali’s unwavering resolve became a beacon of strength for her family as they embarked on a journey filled with uncertainties, determined to defy the odds and cherish every precious moment with their beloved Lucy.
Several months after coming home, Lucy began to show signs of recovery, defying the bleak prognosis initially delivered by doctors. Witnessing her gradual improvement was nothing short of miraculous. In addition to Lucy’s remarkable recovery, Anali and her family received a glimmer of justice when they won their case in court.
The legal victory not only validated their claims of negligence and obstetric violence but also provided a sense of closure and vindication. Moreover, the compensation they received served as a form of acknowledgment for the pain and suffering they endured, helping them to rebuild their lives after the traumatic ordeal.
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