her heart stopped only a short while afterwards, and she passed suddenly in four horrifying minutes.
Michelle Brooks lives in constant fear of dying after doctors had to shake her back to life during labor.
Michelle Brooks / SWNS
A mom whose heart stopped during labor has told how she now lives in constant fear of dying.
Michelle Brooks had to be “shaken back to life” by doctors when she collapsed while delivering her daughter.
The 27-year-old had developed a rare condition in her third trimester, which causes clotting in the liver and blood.
It is called Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets (HELLP), and is fatal in a quarter of cases.
The mom of five had been rushed to hospital when she developed high blood pressure, vomiting and fatigue.
And then while having her daughter, Honey, she kept losing consciousness and her heart stopped for two minutes.
Mom and 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 survived the ordeal, but now Michelle lives in fear of a deadly fit at any moment.
She said: ”I feel like I’m living as a ticking time bomb.
“The condition has no symptoms after I have given 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 so I could die at any point.
“I’m under close observation and my blood pressure is slowly going down which is good news.
“It’s so rare there is no medication for it. They call it a silent 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁er.”
Brooks developed Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets during her third trimester.Michelle Brooks / SWNS
Seven-month pregnant Michelle first started feeling chest pains — but her midwife assumed it was heartburn and told her to get some rest.
But she woke up at 2 a.m. unable to breathe and suffering an intense headache, vomiting and extreme fatigue.
Her mom, Debbie Brooks, 50, drove her to the hospital while she screamed from the “excruciating pain.”
She said: “All the symptoms hit me completely out of the blue.
Brooks lost consciousness while in labor with 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 Honey and her heart stopped for two minutes.Michelle Brooks / SWNS
“Doctors thought that I had pre-eclampsia and they had to deliver my little girl, Honey, as quickly as possible.
“Minutes into labor my heart stopped beating.
“I officially died for a few minutes, and I had to be brought back to life.”
The mom says she doesn’t remember anything from the 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡, and was convinced she would die.
Baby Honey is Brooks’ fifth 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥.Michelle Brooks / SWNS
Michelle described the pain she was in as 10 times worse than labor, as doctors had to keep her conscious to give 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡.
She spent a week in the hospital recovering before doctors revealed that she had actually been suffered from HELLP syndrome the entire time.
HELLP has no symptoms after 𝐛𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡 and doctors have warned Michelle could fit and die at any moment.
The busy mom had to stay on bed rest to keep her blood pressure down, leaving her partner Perry, 27, to look after their five 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
Doctors told Brooks she has a 45 percent chance of survival.Michelle Brooks / SWNS
She is now struggling to juggle looking after her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren — Bridget, 9, Mia, 5, Rhys, 4, Jack, 2 and new 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 Honey.
Michelle said: “It was terrifying and came out of nowhere and now I’m living while constantly fearing death.
“It’s giving me dreadful anxiety that I could just drop down dead at any moment.
”They said I have only a 45 percent chance survival rate — it’s awful.
During labor, Brooks was declared officially dead for a few minutes but was brought back to life.Michelle Brooks / SWNS
“Thankfully my partner is doing a huge amount; he’s doing really well.
“It’s so rare I would never have thought my chest pains could be something so serious.
“But I want to help other women spot the signs and symptoms that I experienced.
“Slowly but surely, I’m getting back on my feet.
“I have good days and bad days but overall, I’m doing better and hopeful for the future.”
Brooks said that she is slowly but surely getting back on her feet after the scary labor experience.Michelle Brooks / SWNS
