This week’s season finale of Devious Maids Season 3, a Lifetime TV Soap Opera, took everyone by surprise. Zoila, played by Judy Reyes (most known from her role as Carla on Scrubs) is in labor and suddenly becomes short of breath. As she loses consciousness doctors and nurses rush to her aid. The scene then moves to doctors consulting with Genevieve, Zoila’s nemesis played by Susan Lucci, and telling her Zoila suffered an amniotic fluid embolism or AFE. Genevieve must choose between saving Zoila or her unborn baby.
Wait. What?
AFE is not a mother or baby decision. There is no choice. When an AFE occurs while the baby is still in the womb the decision is to emergently deliver the baby and offer life-saving support to the mother. Sadly, a case of an AFE was misreported last year that went viral. It said the mother was told she was having an AFE and had to choose who to save. Unfortunately, the writers of Devious Maids didn’t do their homework. Even more unfortunate is when a show like this perpetuates false information.
So what do we make of this awareness opportunity?
The most common response we hear at the foundation is that, “We had never heard of it”. So, if this helps get people interested or searching we are happy to help them better understand what AFE really is. We took to social media and helped dispel the mistruths. You can help us by following the conversation.