Devastated mum reportedly loses 4 babies in two years thanks to hospital failings
30-year-old Leanne Bilon is demanding answers over a “botched” delivery at a hospital’s maternity ward. She has also accused the hospital, Croydon University Hospital, of telling her one of her sons had died hours before he actually did, depriving her of precious moments with her baby.
Mirror UK reports:
Health watchdogs are investigating alleged failings, which Mrs Bilon says have left her terrified of going to hospital. The mother-of-three has two sons and a daughter, all born healthy, and was due to give birth to a third son – her second child with 40-year-old husband Yane – in 2012, but on September 24, after nearly 25 weeks of pregnancy, she experienced contractions and was taken to the hospital by ambulance.
Nurses initially wrongly told her she was fully dilated and to begin pushing out the baby boy, which the couple planned to call Eli. Upon realising their mistake, staff rushed Mrs Bilson for an emergency caesarean, but it was deemed too dangerous.
She said: “I was wheeled back to delivery and left in the room alone while my baby died inside me. My baby was stillborn just hours later.”
Mrs Bilon said she initially received no warning from the hospital that pushing when not fully dilated could have damaged her cervix and reduced her chances of giving birth safely.
In 2013, she miscarried while 18 weeks’ pregnant with twin girls. She then lost a second baby boy, Shay, who was born at 22 weeks “gasping for breath at 11am on January 19 this year.”
Recalling the trauma of the day, Mrs Bilon said : “I was told that even though his heart was beating, it was just a flutter – he’s not really alive. So, I said my goodbyes and they took him out of the room. They came back in the room at 3.15pm telling me my baby had just died. I couldn’t believe it. I was disgusted that they led me to believe all that time that my son was dead. I would have stayed with him and held him on my chest.”
Mrs Bilon has since been told she has at best a 40 per cent chance of giving birth successfully, forcing her to abandon hopes of another child with her husband.
The couple have lodged complaints against the hospital and its staff with the General Medical Council, the Nursing and Midwifery Council and the Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, which are all investigating.
Zoe Packman, director of nursing and midwifery at Croydon Health Services NHS Trust – which has admitted failings, said: “I would like to again express the trust’s sincere condolences to Mrs Bilon. We have thoroughly investigated the concerns she has raised with us and have shared our findings with her. We are continuing to offer as much ongoing support to Mrs Bilon as we can. Our maternity services have been transformed over recent years. In discussion with Mrs Bilon, we want to make sure every lesson is learned to keep improving our care.”
Source: mirror.co.uk