Delivering a baby on Mother’s Day seems like any new mom’s dream scenario. But for Michelle Barry and JC Setty, their first day of motherhood was more like a nightmare. Thankfully, donor gifts were there to save Michelle’s life.

Michelle began experiencing complications in her pregnancy after 35 weeks. She was rushed to Mercy Health — St. Rita’s Medical Center on Mother’s Day. There, doctors discovered an extremely dangerous condition called amniotic fluid embolism that was threatening both Michelle’s life and the life of her baby.

The child, a son they named Dakota, was delivered via C-section, but Michelle worsened. Her heart stopped beating for four minutes as doctors worked to revive her. Due to her condition, Michelle’s doctors recommended ECMO treatment. Fortunately, St. Rita’s had an ECMO machine ready to go. The life-saving technology was supported by donors.

“When they told me that they could potentially save her life here, I told them to do it,” JC says. “I was so thankful for them having the machine to be able to save her here.”

Michelle spent five days on ECMO. The machine oxygenated, warmed and circulated her blood to take stress off of her organs as her body healed. Then Michelle woke up and could finally meet her son.

JC knows that, without donor support of innovative technology and care, Michelle might never have been able to experience motherhood.

“We are very grateful,” she says. “If it wasn’t for the ECMO machine as well as the amazing doctors, Michelle more than likely would not be alive today.”