Heartbroken dad tells how partner died after giving birth to their …
A grieving man has described how his heart breaks ‘every day that his partner isn’t here’ because she died moments after giving birth to their daughter Phoebe without ever getting the chance to hold her baby. Dad Jack Knowles spoke movingly about Jessica Hodgkinson, 26, of Chesterfield[1], who had a cardiac arrest seconds after Phoebe was born.
An inquest earlier this year at Chesterfield coroner’s court[2] into her death in May 2021, heard Jess had a high-risk pregnancy due to Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS), which increased her risk of deep vein thrombosis and that she did not receive the medication she needed up until the birth as planned.
In April 2021, her consultant at Chesterfield Royal Hospital[3] prescribed the anti-clotting drug tinzaparin to be taken daily right up until birth but that did not happen., the inquest heard. 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.
Jack Knowles and Jessica Hodgkinson before tragedy struck in 2021 (Image: TM Wire)
Jack, who is now raising his daughter alone with the support of Jess’s mum, Donna Pugh, said: “It happened so fast. 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.
“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.
“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.”
Jess’s family have now instructed lawyers to investigate after an inquest ruled not having blood thinners right up until the birth was a factor in her death.
Jack, who had been planning to propose to Jess, added: “Phoebe’s been a ray of sunshine through a dark cloud. 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.”
Chesterfield[5] assistant coroner Matthew Kewley has issued a rare Preventing Future Deaths Notice to avert another tragedy. Mum Donna, 45, said: “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[6] 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’s family, who remain in our thoughts.”
References
- ^ Chesterfield (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Chesterfield coroner’s court (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Chesterfield Royal Hospital (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ The Peak District village visited by Matt Smith with its own caves and a castle (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Chesterfield (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)
- ^ Chesterfield Royal Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (www.derbytelegraph.co.uk)