Wake Forest, NC residents, Jeremy and Mary Catherine Haarsgaard were excitedly awaiting the birth of their first born twins. With a little over a month before the due date, Mary Catherine was feeling great, and the babies were growing.

“Going into week 34, I was still going to crossfit classes,” Mary Catherine gushes.

Soon, however, she began to experience severe headaches, increasing achiness and growing inflammation in her legs and feet.

“Since it was my first pregnancy, when I started having a lot of swelling, I assumed it was normal. When it got to the point that it wouldn’t go down, I decided that I’d mention it during my next checkup. I assumed I was supposed to be uncomfortable as I was heading toward my due date.”

Unrelenting Swelling and Self-Induced Bed Rest

Inching into week 35, the swelling became unbearable. Mary Catherine put herself on bed rest and propped her feet and legs up on four pillows in an attempt to alleviate the swelling.

“I was in bed working with my legs propped up, trying to get the swelling down. Elevation offered some relief. Yet, I could only wear bedroom slippers and my husband’s shoes, and the swelling would not go down. My feet were also very painful to walk on.”

Finally, as she approached week 36, she went to her regularly scheduled checkup. They took Mary Catherine’s blood pressure and ordered her to immediately go to the hospital.

A Serious Pregnancy Complication

To her surprise, she had developed preeclampsia, a serious complication of pregnancy that can cause high blood pressure, weight gain and edema. In the most severe cases, it can lead to death or miscarriage.

Mary Catherine says, “My husband and I stopped by the house, grabbed my bag and headed to WakeMed North Hospital. They got me checked in and were going to induce me. The complication, however, was that they couldn’t get my blood pressure to remain at a normal rate, so they administered magnesium.”

Days in the Hospital and a WakeMed Care Team Second to None

After taking magnesium, Mary Catherine had to remain in bed. Her nurses offered to insert a catheter, so she wouldn’t need to get up to go to the bathroom, requiring a nurse to walk her back and forth. She declined the catheter, and to her chagrin, she needed to use the bathroom about every couple of hours.

Mary Catherine says, “I received such great care. The nurse honored my wishes and came in every single time without a single complaint. I kept apologizing, and she said not to feel like I was annoying her. She was so very kind and helpful.”

The next day, Mary Catherine changed her mind about getting a catheter after getting no sleep. Then, she slept for a couple hours as she waited for her blood pressure to go down and to be induced. Exhausted, she could hardly rest for the joy of seeing her babies.

“I had so much adrenaline running through my veins. I think I got two hours of sleep the entire time until the babies were delivered.”

Around 9:00 a.m. on Saturday, March 28, her blood pressure had stabilized, and she was induced to begin the labor process and then endured active labor for the next 17 hours.

Mary Catherine says, “It was quite the experience. We went in on Friday, March 27 and didn’t deliver till Sunday, March 29.”

WakeMed community OB-GYN provider, Tina O’shea, MD, and team delivered the twins at around 2:00 a.m. on March 29.

Mary Catherine says, “I had a team of nurses for me and another team for the babies — the babies had their own team!”

Once the babies were delivered, Mary Catherine was wheeled into her recovery room, and the babies were taken to the NICU because they were unable to maintain their body temperature.

Mary Catherine says, “The nurse knew I was bedridden for the time and that I really wanted to see my babies. So, the care team wheeled my bed, gurney, IV and all into the NICU, so I could be with them. That’s what I mean by the incredible care at WakeMed. It’s next level.”

WakeMed’s Exceptional Care for Dad, Jeremy, and a Community that Steps Up to Help

Besides the wonderful care given to Mary Catherine and twins, Grace and Jeremiah, Mary Catherine’s husband, Jeremy, was also a focus for the care team, especially since the children were born just as COVID-19 was running rampant through the country and mandatory lockdowns and curfews were in place.

Mary Catherine says, “When Jeremy initially grabbed my bag to take me to the hospital, he didn’t think about himself. He thought he could get me to the hospital, leave, get packed, let our dogs out and come back to stay with me. When he got to the hospital, he was told he couldn’t leave. He was in the hospital with me and our children for seven days in the same clothes. Plus, The gift shop and cafe were closed due to COVID restrictions, so he couldn’t grab a bite to eat. The care team made sure he had meals delivered to our room. We also had a large, private room, so he had a comfortable space to sleep and privacy for his shower.”

Jeremy and Mary Catherine also experienced kindness from family and friends during this time. Jeremy’s 15-year-old son kept the dogs until Mary Catherine’s parents could make it into town. A friend gave her a breast pump for use once she got home since hers hadn’t come in yet. They were also blessed with many gifts left at their front door.

“Everyone just pulled together. We’re so thankful.”

Back at WakeMed for Toddler Jeremiah — Where Care is Better Than Ever

Two years past, and the harrowing tale of preeclampsia and delivery during a pandemic lockdown were behind them. Then, they returned to WakeMed. This time for Jeremiah who had strabismus, a weakness of the eyes in which they converge when objects are close up.

Initially, he was treated with glasses. Eventually, their pediatric ophthalmologist decided that glasses, alone, were not sufficient. On April 11, 2022, at WakeMed North Hospital, Jeremiah underwent a surgical procedure to adjust the muscles inside of both eyes. WakeMed community pediatric ophthalmology provider, Timothy Jordan, MD, performed the repair.

Once again, she experienced the incredible care that is unique to WakeMed.

Mary Catherine says, “When it was time to take Jeremiah back to the operating room, one of the nurses asked me if there were shows he might like to watch. The nurse had a smartphone and pulled up one of Jeremiah’s favorite shows. I got to hold Jeremiah all the way to the doors of the OR, and he got to watch his show, as a distraction. The team is so caring and consistently goes above and beyond.”

While Mary Catherine waited for her son’s procedure to finish up, she was invited to a meditative tea.

“They decorated a room in the hospital with twinkle lights and played music softly in the background. I was provided hot tea, snacks and more. There was also a chaplain present. It was very thoughtful.”

Today, Jeremiah is doing great and his physician anticipates that he won’t need to wear glasses much longer. Mary Catherine and her entire family are grateful for WakeMed North Hospital where exceptional care never quits and continues to go above and beyond — even when the world is in crisis.

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About WakeMed North Hospital

WakeMed North Hospital — located in the northern part of the county near Wake Forest and Rolesville — brings advanced medical care and innovative technology to one of the top-rated places to live in the nation. Innovative programs and services, advanced procedures, expanded capacity for surgery and inpatient care, and much more are located close to home — all while maintaining our focus on delivering the highest level of quality and service you’ve come to expect from WakeMed. The hospital is accredited by the esteemed Joint Commission on Accreditation of Hospitals and has won numerous awards for superior service and compassionate care.