Keisha Ayers never got the chance to bond with her bouncing baby boy.
The first-time mother died at 24, mere days after giving birth via caesarean section at the Women’s Hospital, Mount Hope.
Her common-law-husband, Juma Charles, 30, says it all started on the night of April 8, when he took her to the hospital where she was admitted.
After going through labour for over 12 hours, Ayers, who endured a full semester of nine-months, wanted to give birth naturally, was taken to the operating theatre where the C-section was done.
On April 9, at about 9.22 pm, baby Daniel Charles was born. He was a healthy baby and weighed close to eight pounds.
But Charles told the Guardian yesterday that he was told by doctors that his baby boy had to be hospitalised for the next seven days because the baby allegedly got infected with bacteria in his blood and as a result had to be placed on antibiotics.
Ayers, of Santa Rosa, Arima, was subsequently discharged on April 13 during the lunchtime visiting hours.
“This is where it got strange because Keisha, to me, was in no way ready to be discharged. When she had called me that morning she told me she was discharged and had fainted while changing her clothes. She also told me she was vomiting constantly. While there, she was given painkillers and tablets for upset stomach,” Charles said.
“Even when I went to the neo-natal ward to pick her up, she was vomiting while signing her documents and nothing was done by the nurses or doctors there,” he added.
Charles said when he took her home, Ayers continued to complain of excruciating pains and her legs “locking-up.”
“I thought it was natural that because of the C-Section she would be experiencing pains for a few days so I kept rubbing her with ointment to help relieve the pain but it continued and grew worse. I even noticed that her eyes were looking sort of strange.”
Charles said last Monday, they got a call saying that the baby was discharged. He explained that because of the condition Ayers was in, he decided to go to the hospital by himself to receive the baby, but while there was told that it was hospital’s policy for the mother to be there to receive the baby.
He said he further explained to the nurses and doctors but they would not give him his baby.
Charles went back home and got Ayers dressed and took her to the hospital.
“When I took her, she was in pains and vomiting and they never even checked up on her. They just gave her papers to sign and then released the baby. We went home after but she was too weak and in extreme pain. She vomited everything she ate and drank.”
On Friday, Charles said Ayers’ condition worsened and she grew weaker than usual.
“All this time I am thinking it is because of the C-Section she was like this but when I saw she got worse I decided to take her to the hospital.”
Charles got her dressed and held her up as he tried to walk her to his vehicle. Upon reaching the front door of their home, Ayers fell on her knees.
“She told me she was too weak and couldn’t go on. So I sat on the floor with her and held her. I called the ambulance and within 15 minutes they arrived. But before the ambulance got there I remember her body feeling cold and I put my hand by her nose to feel her breath but it was very slight,” he said.
Charles said when the paramedics arrived they quickly placed her in the ambulance and took her to the Arima District Hospital.
“I followed with my car and when I reached the paramedics told me to go to the front and sign up some documents. While I was there, one of the paramedics came and told me to come inside. That was when I was told that she had died. She died before they reached the hospital,” he said.
Weeping, Charles called for answers.
“I am broken with her gone. I need answers from the doctors and nurses.”
An autopsy will be performed on Ayers’ body today at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mount Hope.