HOLDING his newborn son for the first time should have been the happiest day
of Merlin Gard’s life.
But hours later joy had turned to misery.
Moments after baby Charlie was weighed, new mum Lauren, 26, complained of
stomach ache. Two hours later, she was diagnosed with pre-eclampsia — later
that day, she died.
Lauren is one of seven women and 1,000 babies in the UK who die from
pre-eclampsia every year.
Deaths from the pregnancy-related condition have actually doubled in the last
decade and a whopping 91 per cent linked to substandard care, according to
charity Action on Pre-eclampsia.
Merlin, 39, said: “I told Lauren I loved her at 8.30 in the evening. She was
dead by 9.30. She was 26 and in the prime of life. Our son should still have
a mother. It wasn’t meant to be like this.”
And that’s why station manager Merlin, from Darenth, Kent, and Charlie, now
eight, are urging you to support their campaign to improve the diagnosis and
treatment for mums-to-be with the condition — and stop more needless deaths.
Today is National Pre-eclampsia Day and we at The Sun also urge YOU to
back this life-saving campaign.
It won’t take you a minute toto add your support. The more signatures
the petition gets, the more likely MPs and NHS officials are to act on the
campaign — and fewer mums and babies will die needlessly.
Just one click could save lives — so voice your support and get involved.
Symptoms include high blood pressure, swollen feet, hands and face, and
stomach pain below the ribs.
Those who have it can also find they have fits and blackouts, as well as
vomiting in the later stages of pregnancy — but it can be monitored.
The only way to cure it completely is to deliver the baby, but medication to
reduce the side-effects can be used.
Merlin said: “Had Lauren been treated correctly and promptly, she might still
be with us today.
“Mums shouldn’t be dying as a result of pre-eclampsia in this day and age.
“Something has to be done — things need to change.”
Merlin was told not to worry when his wife complained of stomach ache after
she gave birth.
He said: “A doctor prescribed Gaviscon for a bowel spasm but that didn’t help
at all. Over the next hour or two I could see her pain was getting worse.
“After I’d helped her in the bathroom the midwife asked me if there was blood
in her urine. How was I supposed to know?
“She was catheterised and I noticed blood filling the bag. My concern grew but
the midwives told me not to worry. I was scared stiff but tried to reassure
Lauren.
“It was hard, though — she looked and felt really poorly. Her face had changed
colour. She had a yellowy tinge and looked weak.”
HELLP syndrome, associated with pre-eclampsia, was diagnosed and Merlin was
told Lauren needed a platelet transfusion. An ultrasound also confirmed part
of her liver was dying.
He said: “My newborn son was barely hours old when I watched my beloved wife
die in front of me. The platelets had to be delivered from another hospital.
We waited and waited and they never arrived. I tried to take my mind off it
by focusing on Lauren, telling her I loved her, and cuddling Charlie.
An hour after I said that to her, my darling wife died — thirty minutes before
the platelets arrived.
“My world fell apart. We were meant to be a happy little family.
“But she’d been cruelly taken away from me — all because the care she received
was substandard. Other families shouldn’t have to go through this.
“Our NHS is supposed to be one of the best healthcare systems in the world —
and that’s why women and children shouldn’t be dying as a result of
childbirth-related conditions, such as pre-eclampsia.”
Merlin received a £150,000 payout from Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust, which
is currently sitting in a trust fund for Charlie. Merlin has now dedicated
his time to being a good dad and campaigning for better understanding,
better care and better treatment for mums-to-be with the condition.
He said: “Not a day goes by when I don’t think about Lauren. She’s missed
Charlie’s first smile, steps, word and will miss much, much more that’s to
come.
“Charlie didn’t deserve to grow up without a mum. She’s been cruelly taken
from us far too soon. No amount of compensation money will ever replace her.
“Something good has to come out of Lauren’s death — I don’t want another woman
to die because the hospital didn’t know how to treat her.
“Pre-eclampsia is a common condition. It affects around five per cent of
pregnancies. Healthcare professionals need to be more aware of it — and
mums-to-be need to feel comfortable pushing for treatment and investigations
if they think something isn’t quite right with their pregnancy.
“Pre-eclampsia can be fatal to mum and baby if it is left untreated — and no
family should have to go through what we’ve been through.”
Mums-to-be are more likely to develop the condition if it’s their first
pregnancy, if they’ve had it before, if they’re over 40 or if they’re having
twins or triplets.
Although the exact cause of it is unknown, it’s thought to occur when there’s
a problem with the placenta, which links the baby’s blood supply to the
mother’s. Action on Pre-eclampsia chief executive, Ann Marie Barnard, said:
“It’s shocking and unacceptable that more women than ever are dying from
pre-eclampsia associated with substandard care.
“This must stop.
“Midwives and other professionals urgently need to make use of the official
guidelines, and everyone should be aware of the symptoms.
“High blood pressure and protein in urine are both indicators of
pre-eclampsia, and that’s why regular antenatal appointments are key to
early diagnosis.
“Not everybody will get the same symptoms so pregnant women who feel that
something’s ‘not quite right’ shouldn’t be afraid to contact their
healthcare provider. In most cases, pre-eclampsia is mild and not
life-threatening.
“However, we should all be aware of the risks to help prevent devastating and
avoidable deaths at what should be the happiest time in people’s lives.”
Merlin added: “Our little boy is a little delight to be around.
“But what do you tell an eight-year-old about what happened to his mummy?
“Charlie asks whether he’ll meet Mummy in heaven.
“I always tell him yes he will and that, when he sees a bright star, it’s
Mummy shining down on him. He also thinks freckles are kisses from his
mummy.
“Our family has been torn apart because of a lack of knowledge and training,
as well as complacency.
“How many more women have to die from pre-eclampsia before someone listens?
“Nothing can bring Lauren back but we can use her death to campaign for a
change to prevent others dying in the same way. Charlie is a gorgeous,
bright little boy who is the only one in his school who doesn’t have a
mummy, who he misses so much.
“Please sign our petition — and don’t let this tragedy happen to anyone else.”
Dr Catherine Calderwood, NHS England’s national clinical director for
maternity and women’s health, said: “Any maternal death has to be treated
extremely seriously and thoroughly investigated.
“NHS England and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists
have set up a new patient safety board and emerging themes around
improvements to maternity care will be a focal point as we work to improve
patient care.”
To find out more about the campaign check out:
‘My grief turned to anger’
VICKY BOTTEN’S pre-eclampsia wasn’t spotted at a routine antenatal check
this year and, 72 hours later, the 26-year-old from Hampshire was told her
unborn baby had died. Vicky said:
When I was about 24 weeks pregnant, my feet started swelling to the point
where it was painful to walk. My midwife told me not to worry about it.
A week later I had a pain under my rib cage and I began vomiting. My GP said
it was probably a bug.
At my antenatal appointment at 26 weeks, the midwife found traces of protein
in my urine.
At home the vomiting and pain got worse, and I got headaches.
I phoned the midwives but, as I was only a few days from my 28-week
appointment, they told me to hang on. At that appointment, my fears
disappeared.
The pain and vomiting were probably due to another bug, the midwife said, and
the swelling was normal. Three days later, I woke up feeling sick, with a
searing pain under my ribs. By the afternoon, I was vomiting violently and
the baby’s movement had stopped.
My partner Matt and I rushed to hospital where we were given the news we’d
been dreading – our precious baby had died.
Doctors immediately diagnosed pre-eclampsia. Days later, at home, I researched
pre-eclampsia online. I realised I’d ticked most of the boxes. So why was I
overlooked?
My grief turned to anger.
I complained to the hospital trust and, after an investigation, they admitted
an “oversight” – assuring me that every midwife now knows how to deal with
symptoms like mine.