At Enable Law, we usually share anonymised stories about medical negligence and personal injury. But this week, Enable Law client Lana Howard has bravely shared her own devastating experience of stillbirth in the hope of sparing other parents similar heartache as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
Lana was one of the many mums-to-be who suffer from high blood pressure during pregnancy (gestational hypertension). This can lead to a condition called pre-eclampsia and may be dangerous for both mother and baby.
Even though she had a history of gestational hypertension which was diagnosed when she was pregnant with her first child, Oscar, Lana says it was downplayed with fatal consequences for baby Toby.
It was her third pregnancy and everything was going well until she was around seven months pregnant when she regularly had high or borderline blood-pressure readings, which she monitored at home.
Lana had regular appointments and often attended the day assessment centre. She was always reassured everything was fine and was booked in for c-section, to take place one week before her due date. Sadly, Toby died before surgery was performed.
“There will always be a place in my family’s hearts for Toby and it’s always upsetting to think about the life he never had,” Lana said.
“Toby will forever be there with me and he’s the reason why I want to share my own experience.
“He died in very avoidable circumstances which hinge on not being listened up and I sincerely hope my story will help others as part of Baby Loss Awareness Week.
“If I learned one thing from losing Toby it’s that midwives should never underestimate the power of listening and that’s the most important message I want to get across.”
Like many expectant mums with pregnancy-related medical issues, there was a heightened level of anxiety for Lana, who lives in the Merton area of London.
“I’d had severe preeclampsia with Oscar, so I was already on high alert for the pregnancy but sadly, apart from a red sticker on my file, they treated me like a normal pregnant woman.
“Numerous times I went to the hospital, concerned about high blood pressure readings. However, they just waited for it to go down and sent me home.
“One day, the week before I lost Toby, I couldn’t see – my vision had gone. And the response was ‘have you had your eyes tested?’
“I told them I knew it wasn’t that and that it was to do with my blood pressure. They checked and said it was borderline but soon after it was through the roof. I was given a blood pressure tablet, told to lay down and kept in overnight.”
Lana, who is now 33 years old, clearly recalls how things took a turn for the worse almost a week later when she suddenly woke up in agony, just under two weeks before her planned c-section.
“At first, I thought it was labour pain and I felt really light-headed and by the time my mum came round from her home which is nearby I was away with the fairies,” Lana continued.
“The ambulance came and the paramedics said my blood pressure was really, really low which my mum told them was odd because normally it’s really high.
“They whisked me off to hospital. I was in the delivery suite waiting room and the paramedics told the hospital staff I needed to be seen as a priority but there was no room available.
“So, I was left in limbo when, all of a sudden, I started bleeding in the corridor. I was rushed in for treatment and then they said Toby had gone. It was the worst moment of my life and will live with me forever.
“I firmly believe if they had listened to my concerns and induced me, then Toby would be here by my side right now.”
Lana insists that there are lessons to be learned from the tragic loss of Toby at St George’s Hospital, Tooting, on 29 May 2021
“I just wasn’t listened to at all and that still really hurts,” Lana added. “I felt like they were just all too busy all the time.
“There seemed to be no time to sit down to have a conversation and go through things. They were just always in and out, always different people and it felt that everything was disjointed.
“Having had two babies before Toby I could see that everything was getting more and more hectic and the doctors and nurses were struggling to keep on top of everything and manage my high blood pressure. I felt this was a lack of care.
“They should have induced me when my blood pressure was out of control but with Toby, it felt like they couldn’t wait to get rid of me and off I went home.
“It’s as if the maternity care system is broken and needs fixing because there’s too many women that need looking after, and it seems they just can’t cope with it. This is a system problem.
“However, what they can do is trust mums and listen to what they or their loved ones are saying if they raise concerns.”
For Lana, the care she received after losing Toby also left a lot to be desired and she advocates that is an aspect of care that should never be neglected.
“The bereavement care after we lost Toby was nothing short of disgraceful because I felt that it was a matter of go home and get on with it,” Lana said.
“At first, they had me in a room with midwives coming in and out to check on me because I’d had a blood transfusion.
“We asked one about issues such as funeral plans or taking a handprint and she said, ‘sorry, I’m not trained in this’ like she didn’t know what she was doing.
“The bereavement midwives were nowhere to be seen and I don’t believe I met them throughout the whole three days I was in there.
“When I went for a meeting months later, they didn’t even know who I was and spoke to my sister thinking that she was me. They didn’t say a single word to me in the meeting which was like rubbing salt into the wound.
“In my next pregnancy, we then saw how it should be done when I had Kenny at a different hospital. I had a bereavement midwife to look after me and she was amazing. The contrast was just mind-blowing. It showed how things should be done.”
For Lana, though, her experience has taught her that actively listening to mums-to-be remains most important.
“If there is one thing I would like to see done to improve things,” Lana said, “I think it would be to be listened to more closely by staff and for them to remember you’ve got to listen to the mum because it’s her body.
“I know what great care looks like thanks to my experience of having Oscar when everything clicked but losing Toby has showed me the other side.
“In my opinion, I’ve seen the NHS at its best and at its worst and I would love to know that I could help another mum avoid my heartbreak.
“I’m sharing my story in Toby’s name, in his honour, and if this can help at least one person then that would be brilliant.”
Stillbirth negligence claim
Nicola Rawlinson-Weller represented Lana in her legal claim where a significant settlement was successfully reached with the hospital, despite them stating that the care Lana received was appropriate.
Nicola said: “Toby’s death has had a devastating impact on Lana and her wider family. He was a much longed for and loved baby, and he remains at the forefront of Lana’s thoughts every day.
“I’m pleased that we were able to get answers to Lana’s questions and have her concerns vindicated through our expert evidence and reaching a settlement.
“I’m very proud of Lana for the strength that she showed during the case and her decision to share her and Toby’s story. I hope that it helps other families feel empowered to advocate for their care.”
How we can help
The pain of losing a child is immense and something that no parent expects to happen to them. Wanting to understand and obtain answers as to what happened and why it happened is natural, and is extremely important to all the families. At Enable Law, we can help you find those answers and also fight with you to bring about change to ensure that lessons are learnt for the future. We understand the pain and loss parents are suffering will impact them for the rest of their lives, and no amount of financial compensation will solve this but for some families, investigating a baby loss claim, sharing their story, and improving care is an essential part of re-building their lives.
To have a free, confidential discussion with a member of our dedicated team call us today on 0800 044 8488 or fill in our contact form so we can get in touch with you at a time convenient for you.
