It was November 2021 when a 33-year-old woman from Heraklion, Crete, found out she was pregnant for the second time. Her first pregnancy had gone smoothly, giving her a sense of security for this new phase in her life. She chose to be monitored by the same obstetrician-gynecologist who had cared for her previously, working at the maternity ward of Venizeleio Hospital. But this second pregnancy would be nothing like the first. From the early weeks, she experienced severe, relentless, and exhausting vomiting. Doctors dismissed it as typical pregnancy symptoms. But as the months went on, her condition worsened instead of improving. By the fifth month, she was unable to eat or drink anything. Her body could not retain any form of energy. Her husband, helpless to assist, watched her wither before his eyes. "I couldn't eat, drink, live," she said. "I was like a plant. I survived on nothing." At her three scheduled appointments at...