At 33 weeks pregnant, mom-to-be Cori Nichols was planning for a last-minute getaway to Dallas with her husband before the arrival of the couple’s first child. It had been a fairly uneventful and uncomplicated pregnancy for the Abilene resident. Some early swelling and high blood pressure were being monitored by a maternal-fetal medicine specialist.

An echocardiogram done in December 2024 showed that Cori’s aorta was enlarged, possibly as a result of her pregnancy. Her care team decided to monitor the condition closely and do a repeat cardiac ultrasound in the third trimester. It was nothing that would keep the expectant mom from enjoying a night away for her birthday early in February 2025.

In Dallas, Cori and her husband John visited several museums before doing some light shopping and preparing to head home. That’s when things took a sudden turn.

“We had just left Trader Joe’s and were headed to grab lunch at In-N-Out Burger before starting our drive back to Abilene,” Cori recalls. “We were outside the restaurant, headed inside, when I felt an intense pain in my jaw and neck. It was a pain that blinded me. I told John that something was wrong, and I started fading in and out of consciousness.”

It wasn’t long before first responders arrived on the scene to take Cori to an area hospital. “My husband said that after several attempts, the EMTs were unable to find my blood pressure during the trip,” she says. “At the hospital, I also remember the nursing staff advising the doctor that they could not find my blood pressure or the baby’s heartbeat.”

With her own life in jeopardy and her baby in fetal distress, Cori was rushed into surgery for an emergency Cesarean section. Baby Owen was delivered a short time later — weighing in at just 5 pounds, 5 ounces. Although he needed to be resuscitated during the delivery, Owen was able to be stabilized and transported to a local children’s hospital where he remained in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for more than a month.

Cori’s Health Journey Wasn’t Over Yet, Either

In the recovery room, the new mom’s medical team fought to stabilize her blood pressure. A cardiac ultrasound revealed an acute aortic dissection — a serious tear in the wall of Cori’s aorta. The condition is fatal without intervention, and especially dangerous during pregnancy. Cori required immediate, complex surgery.

But she first required a transfer to Texas Health Harris Methodist Hospital Fort Worth, a hospital known for delivering advanced medical care. Texas Health Fort Worth serves North Texas as a Level I Trauma Center and Emergency Center of Excellence and has received certification as a Comprehensive Cardiac Center.

At Texas Health Fort Worth, Cori taken directly to the OR under the care of Moritz Wyler von Ballmoos, M.D., a cardiothoracic surgeon on the hospital’s medical staff and at Texas Health Heart & Lung Surgical Specialists, a Texas Health Physicians Group practice. Wyler von Ballmoos is also the system chair of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery for Texas Health Resources.

By the time she arrived at the hospital, Cori’s condition had worsened dramatically. Her heart had stopped. She had to be placed on a heart-lung machine to restore circulation and oxygenation and allow emergency surgery to begin.

Cori’s aorta had ruptured, leading to cardiac tamponade — a rapid accumulation of blood around the heart that prevents it from beating effectively, resulting in circulatory collapse.

“This is one of the most time-critical emergencies in medicine,” Wyler von Ballmoos explains. “When the aorta ruptures and causes tamponade, survival depends on immediate surgical intervention and every second counts.”

Cori underwent a complex thoracic aortic repair that lasted several hours. Despite the complexity of the procedure and the severity of the injury, Wyler von Ballmoos was able to preserve her native aortic valve while replacing the damaged segments of her aorta.

“Aortic dissection is a life-altering event with a very high mortality rate, even with surgery,” he says. “Preserving Cori’s own valve avoids the need for lifelong blood-thinning medication and offers her better long-term quality of life.”

A Healthier Road Ahead

Cori spent eight days in the hospital recovering. She says much of that time remains a blur, but what stands out is the care her family received.

“Nothing prepares you for something like this. One moment we were alright, and the next Owen was gone. It was, and is still, very hard to comprehend how close both of us came to death. I will never forget the kindness and determination of the nurses who helped to get me over to the NICU to see Owen, along with everyone who played a role in our medical care — especially Dr. Wyler von Ballmoos for saving my life. He is the reason I am alive and able to be here for John and Owen. Our family is eternally grateful. I should not have survived this, and neither should Owen,” Cori adds.

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