Arizona mother battles heart condition while delivering twins before Mother’s Day

CHANDLER, Ariz. (KPHO/Gray News) - A pregnancy checkup for a woman expecting twins in Arizona took an unexpected turn, KPHO reports.

“It was really scary but I was more concerned with what does this mean for the babies,” Maria Sibajene said.

During a doctor’s visit in February, Sibajene told doctors that she was having some check pains and doctors noticed a major problem.

“We did see there was a fair amount of fluid and we were trying to figure out how to transfer her to get care and figure out the best treatment for her,” cardiologist Dr. Rachel Bond said.

Bond said Sibajene was diagnosed with a rare heart condition called pericarditis which, if left untreated, can cause problems, especially for someone who is pregnant.

“It felt like when you are underwater and you need to come up for air but I couldn’t come up for air I couldn’t breathe well,” Sibajene said.

Bond said pericarditis typically forms following a viral infection. Sibajone says she had COVID-19 in November.

Thanks to a team of doctors, Sibjene was able to get treated and deliver her two healthy babies just in time for Mother’s Day.

“Take your health seriously and look for things that could come as complications... I was running marathons and didn’t expect I would get a heart problem,” she said.

Sibajene thanks the doctors for saving her life, as well as the life of her daughters.

Symptoms of pericarditis include chest pain, shortness of breath while lying down and a pounding heartbeat.

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