Unvaccinated pregnant woman from northern B.C. clings to life in COVID-19 ICU

A man from northern B.C. is speaking out to urge vaccination against COVID-19 as his pregnant wife clings to life in a hospital ICU some 1,200 kilometres from home.

A pregnant mother of two from Fort St. John, B.C., who was airlifted to hospital for COVID-19 treatment on Thanksgiving is now on a ventilator, clinging to life some 1,200 kilometres from home.

Krystal St. Pierre is six months into her pregnancy, and unvaccinated. Her husband Dwayne Bisette, who is also unvaccinated and contracted the virus as well, is telling their story to try to convince others not to make the same mistake.

“Back then we were against vaccination, we kind of didn’t want to do it and have something harmful happen. We didn’t understand if it was safe or not for her being pregnant,” said the oil patch worker, who added, like many of their friends and neighbours in the north, they were “dug in."

After their concerns were addressed at a prenatal appointment in early October, the couple was talking about booking vaccination appointments. But then they both got sick.

“By Monday the 11th, Thanksgiving, she could barely move around, her breathing was laboured so we decided you’d better go to the hospital,” said Bisette.

The 39-year-old was airlifted to Victoria General Hospital that night, and deteriorated quickly. St. Pierre’s pregnancy complicated her treatment options.

“They tried a technique called prone position, where they flipped her upside down and supported her on her shoulders and her hips and let the belly come off the lungs, let the child give her more room inside. And it had never been done in B.C. before,” said Bisette.