The Tribune

By JADE RUSSELL


Tribune Staff Reporter


jrussell@tribunemedia.net

A GRIEVING mother says Princess Margaret Hospital twice sent her baby daughter home with assurances she was fine, days before the child died in her arms.

Neisha Nicolas is alleging negligence in the care of her daughter, A’lora, who died on Wednesday.

“They robbed me,” Ms Nicolas told The Tribune. “And I feel like I failed her. I feel like a failure.”

Minister of Health and Wellness Dr Michael Darville, reacting yesterday, said: “I beg to disagree with the statement of robbed her of her child that is a serious statement. The matter is very concerning and I sent my deepest condolences to the family and do feel the mother’s pain. An investigation is ongoing and I cannot comment appropriately until I have all the facts.”

Charles Sealy, the new Public Hospitals Authority Managing Director, declined to comment.

Ms Nicolas, a single mother, turned 24 today. She had expected to spend the day with her first child. Instead, she is planning the baby’s funeral.

A’lora was born healthy on August 3, and Ms Nicolas said she was enjoying being a first-time mother. In late September, she noticed a rash on the baby’s skin. On her mother’s advice, she took A’lora to a clinic on September 21. The baby was prescribed several ointments and washes, and Ms Nicolas was told to return within two days to see whether the treatment was working. When she brought A’lora back, she said, the rash had not healed.

On September 25, fearing for her daughter’s health, she took A’lora to PMH for the first time. Doctors told her the baby was fine, she said. As a young mother focused on keeping her daughter healthy and happy, she said she trusted that health professionals knew best.

A few days later, A’lora developed a fever and the family urged Ms Nicolas to take her back to hospital. Breaking into tears, she described dressing the baby, putting her in her car seat and driving her to PMH, where, she said, staff again told her the baby was good.

She said doctors never prescribed medication on either visit or offered to keep A’lora overnight for monitoring.

“They did brush (off) my concerns,” she said.

The baby seemed to improve over the following days. On Tuesday, however, her condition worsened, and Ms Nicolas decided to take her to a private doctor. She never got the chance.

At about midnight, Ms Nicolas said, she watched her daughter’s heart stop beating. She screamed the baby’s name several times, hoping she would wake up.

“She died in my arms,” she said.

She ran outside, told her neighbour what had happened and asked to be taken to PMH. The neighbour instead took her to the Carmichael Police Station, where, according to police, Emergency Medical Services personnel confirmed the baby was dead.

Ms Nicolas described the experience as traumatising.

She said God had given her the best gift ever in her daughter.

“I love her,” she said. “I had a broken heart, but she fixed it. I went through pain through my pregnancy; she fixed it. When I had her, I said, ‘Everything is going to be okay.’”