A West Midlands mother who suffered multiple organ failure and lost her daughter, Faith, at 21 weeks after medical complications is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the risks posed by late or missed diagnosis of pre-eclampsia next Monday [17 April].

Chardonnay La’More, a medical negligence client of Thompsons Solicitors.
Chardonnay lost her daughter, Faith, after developing a blood clotting and liver disorder that caused her to suffer multi-organ failure.

Chardonnay La’More was 33 when her pregnancy was terminated at 21 weeks in a bid to save her life when pre-eclampsia and its variant, HELLP syndrome - a blood clotting and liver disorder - caused her to suffer multi-organ failure.

A scan taken around her 20 weeks gestation noted that her baby was below the third percentile, and she was referred to a Fetal Medicine Unit. Around the same time, Miss La’More began suffering from symptoms of pre-eclampsia, including dehydration, dizziness and headaches, for which she sought medical advice on two occasions.

Eventually, on 16 April 2016, Miss La’More’s elevated blood pressure saw her admitted to the Birmingham Women’s Hospital, however she was not diagnosed with pre-eclampsia and HELLP until late that evening and by then her organs had begun to fail.

Miss La’More is working with medical negligence experts at Thompsons Solicitors to establish what should have happened when the results of the 20 week scan were known, and if, had action been taken quicker, she wouldn’t have suffered from multi-organ failure or lost her baby.

Talking about her experience, Miss La’More said: “As any parent knows, the loss of a child is your worst nightmare. Losing a child when it could have been prevented is all the more heart-breaking.

“I had become pregnant following a course of IVF, itself a stressful and emotional process. I missed out on what should have been routine tests to ensure the continued good health of both mother and child and I feel let down by the teams responsible for my care.”

To mark the launch of the campaign – which coincides with Faith’s birthday – the charity has organised a ‘balloon release’ in her memory, and will begin raising awareness about the importance of pre-eclampsia checks.

She continued: “Talking about the loss of my child, and the serious impact it has had on my health, is difficult. However, I’m launching this initiative to raise awareness of pre-eclampsia and HELLP syndrome and provide peer support to fellow parents who have been affected.”

Louise Hepplestone, a medical negligence specialist at Thompsons Solicitors said: “Pre-eclampsia is a common form of pregnancy-related complication; typically it affects 6% of women in its milder form, with 1-2% of women experiencing more serious complications.

"I missed out on what should have been routine tests to ensure the continued good health of both mother and child and I feel let down by the teams responsible for my care.”

Chardonnay La’More medical negligence client

“While its causes are not always known, the increased risk factor from 20 weeks is well established, so too is the need for routine urine and blood pressure checks to diagnose it quickly.

“Miss La’More had to undergo an emergency termination to counter multi-organ failure and save her life. We are now working with medical experts to establish whether better or quicker treatment could have avoided this outcome.”