Guest Voice: A mother’s strength in living with pulmonary hypertension

Three months after giving birth to my second son in 2023, my life changed in a way I never could have imagined.

I am a mom of three boys. Being a “boy mom” has always been the center of my world — busy days, loud laughter, endless energy, and the kind of love that fills every corner of a home. But three months postpartum, I suddenly began struggling to breathe. My oxygen saturation dropped into the 70s, and I was rushed to the hospital.

The doctors later told me that I had two very large blood clots in my lungs. They were blocking my airways and preventing oxygen from reaching my body properly. At one point, they believed I might not survive.

I spent more than a week in the hospital, fighting for my life. It was the hardest period I have ever experienced. When you are lying in a hospital bed and struggling to breathe, you realize how fragile life really is. I was closer to death than to life, and all I could think about was my children.

But somehow, I made it.

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Recovering from a pulmonary embolism was not easy, but I believed the worst was behind me. I went back to focusing on my family and my boys. Life slowly returned to something that felt normal again.

Then, three years later, I received another diagnosis that turned my world upside down.

Genesis Gonzalez keeps fighting through her pulmonary hypertension diagnosis because of her three sons, Liam, Abraham, and Jacob. (Courtesy of Genesis Gonzalez)

I was diagnosed with pulmonary hypertension, caused by those blood clots. Hearing the words “chronic illness” at 35 years old was devastating. My mind immediately went to my children. My boys need their mom, and suddenly I was facing a lifelong condition that affects my ability to breathe and live normally.

Living in South America has added another layer of difficulty to my journey. At the time of my diagnosis, I was living in Ecuador, where my husband is from. Unfortunately, the city was at a very high altitude, which made breathing even harder with pulmonary hypertension. Eventually, I decided to move to Medellín, Colombia, a lower-altitude city that’s closer to my family.

Even with that change, the options for treatment here are limited. The surgery used in some countries to remove chronic clots is not available to me, and my clots are considered too distal for that procedure anyway. The only possible treatment option I may have access to in this region is a balloon angioplasty procedure that can be performed in Cali, Colombia. I am currently exploring that possibility and hoping it might improve my quality of life.

Living with pulmonary hypertension means daily medications, constant monitoring, and many moments of uncertainty. Some mornings I wake up feeling weak. Some days I feel scared, overwhelmed, or exhausted. There are moments when I want to cry and ask, “Why did this happen to me?”

But then I look at my boys. They are my reason to keep going.

I work full time because I have to provide for them and make sure they have everything they need. Being a mother with a chronic illness is not easy, but it has taught me something powerful: Strength often shows up when we think we have none left.

I’ve also found comfort in patient communities and support groups. Connecting with others who understand what it’s like to live with pulmonary hypertension has helped me feel less alone. Sharing our stories reminds us that we are stronger together.

If there is one message I want to send to others living with chronic illness, it is this: Don’t lose hope.

Life can change in an instant. Sometimes it feels like life has stabbed us in the back. But even in the hardest moments, we can still find reasons to keep moving forward. Our families, our dreams, and our resilience give us strength we never knew we had.

I may be living with pulmonary hypertension, but I refuse to let it define me. Every day I wake up, take my medications, care for my children, and keep searching for solutions.

Because I am still here. And that means the fight continues.

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Note: Pulmonary Hypertension News is strictly a news and information website about the disease. It does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on this website. The opinions expressed in this column are not those of Pulmonary Hypertension News or its parent company, Bionews, and are intended to spark discussion about issues pertaining to pulmonary hypertension.