The days that ensued were tough
for Sam, as she battled health
issues that prevented her from
spending precious bonding time
with her newborn daughter.
“After I returned home from
hospital, things took a turn for the
worse,” recalls Sam. “I was in such a
bad way that I was unable to spend
time bonding with Indigo, and that
was heartbreaking. My left lung
collapsed and I was rushed back
into hospital- it was terrifying.”
Doctors couldn’t identify what
was causing the problem, which
lead to a long two weeks of tests
and close monitoring for Sam.
“They tested me for so many
things that I started to lose count,”
she says. “I felt as if the bond with
Indigo was non-existent- she wasn’t
even allowed to visit me because of
my condition. Although my auntie
was keeping me updated, I was just
so devastated that I couldn’t be with
her in the days following her birth.”
It soon became apparent Sam’s
condition wasn’t improving and the
treatments weren’t having the
positive effects doctors had hoped
for.
“I will always remember when
eight doctors surrounded my bed,
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FLEX | FEBRUARY 2018
telling me that due to my organs
shutting down, I only had five days
to live,” Sam recalls. “My only hope
was to be admitted for emergency
surgery.”
In a bid to save the young mum’s
life, doctors operated on Sam and
thankfully, the surgery went well.
“I was so relieved, but I knew the
road to rehabilitation ahead of me
was going to be a long one,” says
Sam. ‘I couldn’t walk for almost eight
weeks, which led to a lot of weight
gain. I was in a state of depression
and didn’t want to leave the house
unless it was to take Indigo to her
routine check-ups.”
Sam’s own doctor advised she
find a hobby to help her take her
mind off things. She decided to start
going to the gym in a bid to reignite a
passion for sports she’d felt as a
child.
Sam started her fitness journey
training in her local gym, with only
her cousin by her side for support.
She quickly became addicted to the
changes she could see in her body.
“I used to love sports when I was
a kid and made the decision weight