Candice Davis Rebuilds Life After 17-Centimeter Liver Tear and 5 Finger Losses in Childbirth
Updated
Updated · CBS New York · Aug 15
Candice Davis Rebuilds Life After 17-Centimeter Liver Tear and 5 Finger Losses in Childbirth
1 articles · Updated · CBS New York · Aug 15
Summary
One year after an emergency C-section, Candice Davis says she can again care for her son independently after surviving HELLP syndrome, massive liver bleeding and amputations to her left thumb and parts of four fingers.
June 14, 2025, brought a sudden collapse from a previously smooth pregnancy: nausea, upper abdominal pain, rising blood pressure and soaring liver enzymes pushed doctors at Baptist Hospital in Pensacola to deliver her baby within two hours.
A 17-centimeter liver injury began bleeding after her son was delivered, leaving Davis too unstable for immediate surgery; doctors packed her abdomen, stopped the bleeding about 24 hours later and she regained consciousness in intensive care.
Blood clots later formed in her left hand, but blood thinners risked restarting the liver hemorrhage, and six surgeries ultimately removed dead tissue before therapy and a prosthetic thumb helped her return to work, the gym and family life.
Davis said the ordeal showed that even low-symptom pregnancies can turn quickly dangerous, and she urged women to seek care when something feels wrong.