Blood donors help pregnant Fresno woman survive risky delivery

FRESNO, Calif. -- June 12th is a day Warren and Julie Bean will never forget. Julie was 32 weeks pregnant with her third daughter.

"It was a blur-- I was nauseous, I was blacking out."

Within hours of checking into a hotel pain started setting in.

"I almost didn't go the ER, I almost ignored the pain I was having," Julie said.

Julie was bleeding internally and had to be flown to a hospital in San Francisco; ignoring the warning signs could have been fatal.

"I wouldn't be talking to you-- I wouldn't be seeing my family, I wouldn't be alive."

Julie knew it would be a complicated birth because doctors predicted it-- they diagnosed her with placenta percreta, early on-- a rare condition that causes the placenta to invade the uterine wall. Her case was extreme because it was tearing vital organs and it took 32 pints of blood, during nine and a half hours of surgery to keep her alive.

Thinking about it puts life into perspective for Julie. "I'm just thankful that I am though."

Warren said, "It just kinda hits you in the face-- it's like wow. She lost three times her body's blood. That's something you can't comprehend at the time."

Donors gave that blood and Warren said he is thankful and he plans to return the favor.

"Yes-- so I will be doing the pint for pint. Hey! If I can get ice cream out of it."

When Julie makes a full recovery she wants to do the same, but for now she is focused on her newborn that came six weeks early.

"She is definitely a miracle."

A miracle baby, named Nora born on June 13th-- healthy and happy in the arms of her mother.