Flavio Goncalves | FocusOnNews
A pregnant bride suffered a stroke just minutes before walking down the aisle and saying ‘I Do’ to her fiancé. Jessica Guedes, 30, was six months pregnant and seemingly healthy. What her family in the limo on the way to the church dismissed as simple pre-wedding anxiety turned out to be much, much worse.
Guedes never made it down the aisle, and now she never will.
Jessica Guedes, a nurse, was excited and ready to marry her fiancé Flavio Gonçalvez, a local firefighter. She was six months pregnant with their first child and all accounts said she was healthy and happy, following all her doctor’s orders and exercising regularly.
While in the limo on the way to the church, Guedes complained of being dizzy with sharp, persistent pain in her neck. Her family riding with her dismissed her concerns, saying she was just nervous about walking down the aisle and finally marrying Gonçalvez.
Gonçalvez was waiting at the altar and started to get worried about his soon-to-be wife taking so long when her cousin ran into the church, saying that she had passed out in the limo. It was his worst nightmare come true.
As a firefighter, Gonçalvez has extensive first aid training. When he made it to the limo, she was on the floor passed out but woke to his voice.
He said in an interview after that he wasn’t a fiancé or father, but a rescuer. He took her from the limo and started first aid and CPR, asking his fellow firefighters in attendance to help him until EMTs could arrive.
Guedes was rushed to a local hospital, but her case was determined too difficult for them to manage and she was transferred to a larger facility.
Unfortunately, she was declared braindead at arrival, but they were able to keep her alive long enough to deliver the couple’s daughter via cesarean section at only 29 weeks. The little girl weighs just over 2lbs, and is expected to spend at least two months in NICU – but she should make a full recovery.
According to her doctors, Guedes suffered from severe preeclampsia that led to a stroke. There was nothing that anyone could have done, but doctors are still surprised at how quickly and aggressively it came on.
Up until her wedding day, which should have been one of her happiest days, she was a perfectly healthy 30-year-old. All of her bloodwork from her appointments came back healthy, and she showed no signs of risk for preeclampsia.
Jessica Guedes was buried yesterday, surrounded by family and friends. Flavio Gonçalvez says he will not shy from adversity, and that his late wife taught him how to properly treat a woman, so he knows he will be able to do his absolute best raising their daughter.
