'My partner died moments after giving birth but it could have been prevented'
A man whose partner died moments after giving birth when a hospital failed to give her the medication she needed has told of his heartbreak.
Jack Knowles was horrified when Jessica Hodgkinson had a cardiac arrest seconds after little Phoebe was born – never getting the chance to hold her. Jess, 26, had a rare condition that put her at high risk of blood clots, but medics failed to ensure she was given blood thinners up until the birth in May 2021.
Her family have now instructed lawyers to investigate after an inquest ruled it played a factor in her death. Jack, 26, who is raising his daughter alone with the support of Jess’s mum Donna Pugh, said: “Phoebe’s first birthday, first Christmas, her first steps and first word… they’ve all been bittersweet. Jess was so excited about becoming a mum. It breaks my heart every day that she isn’t here.”
Jess suffered a cardiac arrest moments after Phoebe was born
Her partner Jack is now raising the little one aloneChesterfield coroner’s court heard Jess had a high-risk pregnancy due to Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome, which increased her risk of deep vein thrombosis.
In April 2021, her consultant at Chesterfield Royal Hospital prescribed the anti-clotting drug tinzaparin to be taken daily right up until birth but that did not happen. Moments after Phoebe was born 12 weeks early by emergency C-section on May 14, 2021, Jess went into cardiac arrest after having a pulmonary embolism caused by DVT.
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“It happened so fast,” Jack said. “Phoebe was born and I remember Jess asking, ‘Is she OK?’ The next thing, she was saying she couldn’t breathe. Those were her last words.”
Medics were aware that Jess's was a high-risk pregnancy
Jack said he is heartbrokenJack, who had been planning to propose to Jess, said: “My life changed for ever. I was saying goodbye to the person I thought I’d spend the rest of my life with while our newborn daughter lay next-door in an incubator.
“We’re all having to live without Jess because of the hospital’s failings.” Jack, who has nothing but praise for the hospital’s neonatal team, added: “I felt so frightened to suddenly have a baby I knew I’d have to raise by myself, but I wasn’t going to let Jess down. Phoebe’s been a ray of sunshine through a dark cloud.”
Jess's mum says she'll never forgive the hospital for their failures
Jack said his little girl is a "ray of sunshine through a dark cloud"Last month, Chesterfield assistant coroner Matthew Kewley issued a rare Preventing Future Deaths Notice to ensure Chesterfield Royal Hospital takes action to avert another tragedy. Mum Donna, 45, said: “I’ll never forgive the hospital for failing Jess. We don’t want this to happen to another family.”
She and Jack, along with Phoebe’s uncle Grant Finney, 28, are now keen to raise awareness of KTS. Grant said: “Some hospital staff hadn’t even heard of it. “We want every woman with KTS to know they must ask for tinzaparin if they become pregnant.”
Dr Hal Spencer, chief executive of Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust said: “We respect the findings from the coroner and have supported all enquiries. As a Trust, we have responded to the coroner within the required timeframe and will be communicating with Jess’ family, who remain in our thoughts.”
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