Woman had ‘near death experience’ after delivery

A woman claims she had a “near death experience” when she began to haemorrhage internally after her baby was delivered by caesarean section.

Honey Larkin told the High Court she nearly died, and by the time she was brought to an operating theatre at Letterkenny General Hospital for surgery to stop the bleeding, she had lost more than half her entire volume of blood.

Ms Larkin, aged 40, Stackernagh, Churchill, Letterkenny, Co Donegal, has sued the HSE and consultant gynaecologist at Letterkenny Eddie Aboud, for alleged negligence and breach of duty.

She claims she is suffering from post traumatic stress and has not recovered from the possibility she may have died.

Ms Larkin claims the defendants failed to check or sufficiently check or to recognise the sign that she was bleeding profusely and losing substantial amounts of blood. She further alleges there was a failure to attach due significance and to take appropriate action in response to her distress signals.

It is alleged that by the time Ms Larkin underwent the second operation to stop the bleeding, she was in parlous state and had suffered massive blood loss and a near death experience.

The claims are denied and the defendants say Ms Larkin was treated in a timely and appropriate manner when surgical complications were identified.

Opening the case, Gerard Clarke said Ms Larkin’s baby boy was delivered by caesarean section on January 29, 2008.

He said when Ms Larkin was in the recovery room, she appeared to be unwell. Counsel said she was haemorrhaging internally and Mr Aboud later told her if it had been 20 minutes longer to the operation, she would not have survived.

In evidence, Ms Larkin said she had nearly died, and it breaks her heart that she and her husband had to make the decision not to have any more children. “I feel cheated,” she said.

The case continues.