Hastings mother says she’s a ‘ticking time bomb’ and could ‘die at any moment’

Michelle Brooks, 27, developed rare HELLP syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated Liver enzymes and Low Platelets) during her third trimester.

HELLP is a rare liver and blood clotting disorder affecting pregnant women, which is fatal in a quarter of cases.

The mother-of five was rushed to the Conquest Hopsital in St Leonards when she developed symptoms like high blood pressure, vomiting and fatigue.

Doctors were forced to shake the expectant mum into consciousness while she gave birth to daughter Honey, now four months old.

Despite her heart stopping for two minutes, both mother and baby survived but Michelle now runs the risk of a deadly fit at any moment.

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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.”

Michelle first started feeling chest pains when she was seven months pregnant.

She woke up at 2am unable to breathe and suffering a ‘powerful’ headache, vomiting and extreme fatigue.

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Her mum, Debbie Brooks, 50, drove her to the hospital while she screamed from the ‘excruciating pain’ in her entire body.

Michelle said: “All the symptoms hit me completely out of the blue. Doctors thought that I had pre-eclampsia and they had to deliver my little girl, Honey, as quickly as possible.

“Minutes into labour my heart stopped beating. I officially died for a few minutes, and I had to be brought back to life.”

While drifting in and out of consciousness, doctors struggled to stabilise her extremely high pressure and had no choice but to perform an emergency C-Section.

Michelle’s baby Honey was born on September 18, 2021, weighing 5lbs.

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She said: “I don’t remember anything from the birth. I felt like I was going to die, I was just holding on for the baby.

“Doctors had to keep shaking me and touching me to keep me alive. All I remember is the excruciating pain I felt from head to toe.

“It was 10 times more painful than labour. The doctors were baffled as to why I suffered it.

“I had multiple checks before it happened and there was nothing wrong. The midwives were just trying to keep me holding onto life so they could deliver my baby safely.

“They did an incredible job and I owe my life to them. After Honey was delivered safely, I lost consciousness and doctors battled to keep me alive.

“I stayed on the ward and doctors told me it would take weeks for me to recover.”

Michelle spent a week in the hospital recovering before doctors revealed she had actually been suffering from HELLP syndrome the entire time.

She was looked after in an SCBU ward due to the severity of her condition and Michelle was only able to see her baby after three days.

Doctors were only able to diagnose HELLP a week after the labour, after initially believing she was suffering from pre-eclampsia.

The mum had to stay on bed rest to keep her blood pressure down, leaving her partner Perry, 27, to look after their five children.

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 per cent chance survival rate, it’s awful.

“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.”

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