Silvina and Mark Orsatti of Saltsburg, Indiana County, had already lost two babies before connecting with Magee in the midst of their third pregnancy. Even under the careful watch of Magee Maternal-Fetal Medicine physicians, severe preeclampsia induced the birth of their daughter, Milagros, at 25 weeks. She did not survive.
 Also known as toxemia, preeclampsia is a leading cause of maternal and fetal illness and death. The only effective treatment is immediate delivery, which can be dangerous for the baby if it is too early.
Facing the heartbreaking reality that they might never have a child of their own, the Orsattis began to consider adoption. But Silvina became pregnant again — another chance that Mark calls their “last grasp”.
Magee’s Maternal-Fetal Medicine team took charge from day one, designing a treatment program and counseling the couple. The Orsattis were in good hands with many of the country’s foremost experts in preeclampsia practicing right at Magee.
Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists closely monitored Silvina and the baby. “When things started to go wrong again, we were filled with concern and despair,” Mark Orsatti recalls. “The doctors comforted us, but the preeclampsia worsened. Silvina’s blood pressure was high, then her white blood cell count went up. They advised that the baby would have to arrive at 30 weeks to keep my wife from danger.”
Nervous and concerned, the Orsattis put their confidence in the physicians, who delivered healthy, 6-pound Lucas Pietro Ferruccio Orsatti by cesarean section five weeks early on Oct. 30, 2005.
Silvina and Mark Orsatti cherish young Lucas, the miracle they thought would never come. “We didn’t know it was a boy until he arrived. We were thrilled. I can’t even put it in words.”
So grateful for the care and concern they received, the Orsattis struggled to translate the word “Magee” into their native Italian and Spanish tongues. “Had we been able to find a way, Lucas would have been named for Magee,” Mark says.
Although Baby Lucas is now a toddler, Mark admits it is still hard to talk about the experience without becoming emotional. The proud parents, both Spanish teachers at Kiski School, just returned from a trip to Argentina where they introduced Lucas to Silvina’s family.
“They loved him, as we do,” Mark says. “He’s just amazing. He smiles all the time.” So do his parents.
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