Press Release: Tragedy Strikes as Infant Passes Following Emergency C-section at St. Francis Hospital
Published: November 4, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tragedy Strikes as Infant Passes Following Emergency C-section at St. Francis Hospital
Press Conference
When: Monday, November 4th 2024 at 4pm
Where: Outside of St. Francis Hospital (sidewalk)
Address: 701 N Clayton St
Wilmington, DE 19805
United States
Wilmington, DE — In a deeply tragic turn of events, a Black woman experienced the loss of her precious infant following an emergency cesarean section at St. Francis Hospital in Wilmington over the weekend. The mother, who was in labor, was alone upon arrival. Her Sister, Mother, Doula arrived in the hours after she was admitted. She was admitted to the hospital where the medical team monitored her labor progress and determined the need for surgical intervention.
Despite the medical staff’s efforts, the infant (named Shalom) did not survive the procedure. The mother, Shaketta Matthews (37), a native of Delaware, was subsequently transferred to Christiana Care for further medical care and support. Ms. Matthews originally requested to be transferred to Christiana as her care team and medical records were all there. The EMS staff that picked Ms. Matthews up in an ambulance advised that Saint Francis hospital was “closer” and that she “could be seen faster”. And the Saint Francis Hospital Staff discouraged her request to be transferred multiple times during her stay in the facility. According to the Delaware Health Statistics Center - “Wilmington’s Infant Mortality Rate (IMR) continued to be the highest in Delaware at 11.8 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.”
After experiencing the heartbreaking death of her first child Ms. Matthews was informed of more bad news. Betty Smith, a resident physician notified the family that a sponge was left inside the Ms. Matthews post-operation and that Ms. Matthews would have to be prepped and reopened to retrieve the sponge. Upon confirmation of the sponge being left inside by X- ray - the medical staff reopened the incision once again. Ms. Matthews had to endure the pain and suffering of this preventable medical error.
This phenomenon is called ”gossypiboma”. Defined as a mass of cotton (sponge or gauze) within the body left during a surgical procedure. According to The National Institute of Health - “It is a rare but universal event, which is usually underreported for medico-legal reasons. The reported estimate of retained surgical items is 1.32 per 10, 000 procedures and 0.3 to 1% of abdominal operations.”
This heartbreaking incident raises concerns about maternal and infant health care protocols, particularly the experiences of Black women within the healthcare system. Multiple studies have highlighted the disparity in maternal mortality and infant survival rates faced by Black mothers compared to their counterparts, often exacerbated by factors such as implicit bias, access to quality prenatal care, cumulative stress over the lifetime, and institutional inequality.
Local advocacy groups are calling for a thorough and transparent review of the circumstances surrounding this tragic event, seeking assurance that all necessary measures were taken to prevent such an outcome.
St. Francis Hospital spokesperson has expressed its condolences to the grieving mother and has committed to cooperating with any investigations. A representative stated, "Our hearts go out to the family affected by this unimaginable loss. We are fully dedicated to understanding the factors that led to this tragedy and to preventing future occurrences." - This official statement of which Ms. Matthews never received it. Instead she received a teddy bear with an engraving of the word “peace”. The newborn’s name is Shalom (which means peace in Hebrew). The Mother, Ms. feels as though this gesture was not in good faith and sees it as an insult to the memory of her child. As of November 3rd, Ms. Matthews received an “Outstanding” bill from Saint Francis in the amount of $894.00 for “R&B Nursery Newborn Level 1”. This is a typical “Room & Board” charge for all newborns who spend a night in the hospital. However, Shalom never got to spend a night in the hospital nor in his mother’s arms. The sad reality of the healthcare system at present, and what seems to be a rite of passage in America - a deceased newborn is saddled with medical debt.
Community support systems are encouraged to reach out to provide emotional and practical assistance to the grieving family during this difficult time. Additionally, calls for policy reviews and improved training for healthcare providers are being amplified by organizations focused on racial equity in healthcare.
There is a GoFundMe organized on behalf of Ms. Matthews funds going directly to her. Donations can be made at this link: https://gofund.me/866af35c
Local Mothers are demanding that St. Francis Hospital (Trinity Healthcare mid-Atlantic):
1. Fiscal support of a referral/matching Birthworker program.
2. Update Doula Friendly hospital policies.
3. Hospital leadership immediately commence conversations with Maternity patients, Reproductive Justice advocates, and justice committed organizations from the local community - about how to build trust and safety with patients.
For further information, media inquiries can be directed to:
Shané Darby
Fonder & Executive Director of Black Mothers in Power | Wilmington City Council Member (District 2)
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