Eloisa Valles’ injuries after being struck by a car in 2020 were painful and extensive, including multiple pelvic fractures and a traumatic brain injury. During her five weeks as an inpatient at Sunnybrook, one of the most difficult aspects was the nagging worry that she may never become a mother.

A new initiative at Sunnybrook is striving to ensure trauma patients, like Eloisa, receive timely information and support about reproductive options following their injuries.

Unintentional trauma due to motor vehicle collisions, falls or fires drastically change a person’s life and negatively impact physical, mental and social well-being, including the supports and care necessary to start a family. Dr. Anne Berndl, a maternal fetal medicine specialist and director of Sunnybrook’s Accessible Care Pregnancy Clinic, the first of its kind in Canada, recognized that equity in pre-pregnancy care requires partnerships across the hospital setting.

Teams from the hospital’s DAN Women & Babies Program and Tory Trauma Program, home to Canada’s largest trauma centre, have come together to integrate reproductive health discussions and referrals into post-injury care. As patients are discharged from hospital, information on specialized pregnancy care is made available, and during follow-up appointments in the Jennifer Tory Trauma Recovery Clinic further discussions occur. Already this collaboration has led to multiple referrals within Sunnybrook to ensure interested patients are best supported. 

In Eloisa’s case, her worry about not becoming a mother several years ago prompted her to search the internet for resources, and proactively arrange a pre-pregnancy consult with Dr. Berndl a year after her injuries. The team recommended that she focus on physiotherapy and recovering more fully before becoming pregnant. Four years later, she returned to Sunnybrook, and delivered Emily, a healthy and full-term baby.

“It was a beautiful circle of care. I was taken to Sunnybrook with devastating injuries. Then they were able to provide comprehensive counselling and care so I could become a parent,” says Eloisa, who had five surgeries following being hit by the car.

“This new approach is helping ensure patients like Eloisa don’t fall through the cracks if they’re interested in becoming pregnant. By embedding pre-pregnancy planning into routine discharge care, we’ve helped to reduce the barriers to our patients thriving after injury, and given a massive boost to reproductive equity for people with disabilities,” adds Dr. Avery Nathens, Medical Director of Trauma Services at Sunnybrook.

For Eloisa, the guidance and care have meant the world. “All of the questions I had were answered, all of the concerns addressed,” says Eloisa. “Sunnybrook gave me hope. And now I have Emily.”