American Tennis Star Serena Williams Reveals She ''Almost Died'' While Giving Birth To Her First Daughter, Alexis Olympia; Says 'I'm Fortunate'
- Tennis veteran Serena Williams recently shared her experience giving birth to her daughter Alexis Olympia.
- Williams said she almost died after she gave birth to her in September 2017 through c-section.
- Her body scan revealed several blood clots in her lungs after a day of delivery.
- Williams was given an anticoagulant drip, but the c-section scar opened from her coughing.
- The 36-year-old athlete recently revealed she had penned an op-ed about the dire state of maternal and infant deaths worldwide.
American Tennis legend and Olympian Serena Williams has recently opened up about her life-threatening delivery last September. In a new op-ed for CNN, Williams revealed she almost died while giving birth to her daughter, Alexis Olympia.
Williams said she underwent a c-section after her daughter's heart rate dropped significantly. The surgery was successful, and her daughter was alive in her arms. However, she suffered a severe pulmonary embolism.
Tennis star Serena Williams with her daughter Alexis Olympia
Source: People
Williams said,
This sparked a slew of health complications that I am lucky to have survived. First, my C-section wound popped open due to the intense coughing I endured due to the embolism.
She continued,
I returned to surgery, where the doctors found a large hematoma in my abdomen, swelling of clotted blood. And then, I returned to the operating room for a procedure that prevented clots from traveling to my lungs. When I finally made it home to my family, I had to spend the first six weeks of motherhood in bed.
Williams further explained though she went through some severe health complications, her access to high-class doctors and medical professionals kept her alive. She confessed that the privilege couldn't be experienced by many other women, especially when it comes to low-income and expectant black mothers.
Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian with their daughter at their wedding in November
Source: Daily Mail
In the op-ed, Williams wrote,
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, black women in the United States are over three times more likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes.
Williams and Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian tied the knot in November 2017; two months later, they welcomed their daughter. The couple exchanged their vows at the star-studded wedding at the Contemporary Arts Center in New Orleans.
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