Pregnancy loss is heartbreaking under any circumstances, and ectopic pregnancy is particularly scary, as it can be life-threatening if not treated immediately. One TikToker shared doorbell camera footage of her ‘village’ showing up for her after she underwent emergency surgery for her ectopic pregnancy, and it’s a touching reminder that no one should have to go through pregnancy loss alone.
Nursing student Tessa Truman was in her first trimester of pregnancy when she began feeling unwell. “I felt nauseous so I went to the bathroom and my vision went out,” she told TODAY.com. “All I saw was black.”
She called out to her fiancé Brandon Newton, who called 911. Truman required emergency surgery, telling the outlet, “The fetus implanted … and was growing in my (fallopian) tube. It grew so big that it ended up rupturing, leading to internal bleeding.”
@tessatruman couldn’t be more grateful for my village
#myvillage #fyp #littlelife #viral #ectopicpregnancy
Later on, Truman replayed doorbell camera footage, which showed roughly 20 of her loved ones—including friends, family, school classmates, and acquaintances—appearing at her door with food, flowers, balloons, and household supplies. Plenty even brought their dogs, too.
She shared the footage on TikTok, which begins with a snippet of Truman being wheeled out on a stretcher with paramedics the day she fell ill. In her caption, she noted that she “couldn’t be more grateful for my village.” It’s racked up nearly 15 million views on TikTok alone.
Truman told TODAY that other pals chipped in by sending gift cards to Uber Eats, Instacart, and Costco, along with Venmo donations. Her mom is also helping to care for her 14-month-old son and stepson as she rests and recovers, and all the gifts provided three weeks’ worth of food for her family.
Truman was equally touched by the outpouring of support from strangers online, with some sharing stories of how they went through pregnancy loss alone. “I feel extremely lucky,” she said. “It makes me sad because I wish that everyone had a community like that.”
It seems the experience—as well as hearing from other moms who have gone through the same—has inspired Truman to show up for the people in her life the same way. “I want to be a better person by reaching out to people who are struggling,” she told TODAY. “Truly, it makes all the difference to have people who care and love you.”