Bexley family left looking for answers after 29-year-old mum dies during childbirth

Yaszmin Simpson was weeks away from turning 30 and ‘excited about the future’ when she died

A South East London family is desperately seeking answers following the death of a first-time mum, aged just 29, during childbirth.

Yaszmin Simpson visited hospital on three separate occasions across a 12-day period in the final weeks of her pregnancy after experiencing bleeding and fluid loss. Her relatives say she had spent months eagerly preparing for the arrival of her first child – but what should have been one of the happiest moments of her life ended in tragedy.

The recruitment consultant from Welling, Bexley, suffered a fatal cardiac arrest following an emergency caesarean section, while her newborn daughter, whose has not been named, survived the procedure. An inquest is scheduled for next week to investigate the circumstances surrounding her death.

Prior to the hearing, which begins on Tuesday, Yaszmin’s family have instructed a legal team to assist them throughout the proceedings.

Speaking before the hearing, her mother, Michelle Simpson said: “What should have been one of the happiest days of our lives became the day we lost Yaszmin. Instead of celebrating her becoming a mum, we had to say goodbye to her. Yaszmin was our precious daughter and becoming a mum was something she had dreamed about for a long time. She had spent months preparing for the birth and was so excited to finally meet her baby girl.”

Yaszmin, a recruitment consultant, initially presented at Princess Royal University Hospital in Orpington on October 6 2022, reporting bleeding and fluid loss. She received a diagnosis of pre-labour rupture of membranes, a condition whereby a woman’s waters break prior to the onset of labour.

On October 8, following additional bleeding, she attended King’s College Hospital, where she was admitted for a five-day period. Yaszmin was sent home on October 13 with arrangements for a follow-up appointment the subsequent week and plans for delivery via caesarean section at 35 weeks.

She returned to King’s College Hospital on October 17 following abdominal pain and additional fluid loss. Plans were initially put in place for a Category 2 caesarean section after Yaszmin experienced a third bleeding episode, with the procedure then upgraded to a Category 1 emergency caesarean section.

While preparing for surgery, Yaszmin went into cardiac arrest and passed away the following morning. She is survived by her baby daughter, who was not injured.

In the wake of her death, Yaszmin’s parents, Michelle and Roy, spoke to specialist medical negligence solicitors at Irwin Mitchell to support them through an upcoming inquest and assist them in obtaining answers.

Michelle continued: “Yaszmin was only weeks away from her 30th birthday and was always smiling, full of energy and excited about the future. She was creative, ambitious and independent. Alongside her career as a recruitment consultant, she had built her own personalised design business and was incredibly proud of everything she had achieved.”

She added: “It is almost impossible to put into words the pain of losing Yaszmin while living with so many unanswered questions. Whilst we know nothing can bring Yaszmin back, we hope the inquest will help us better understand what happened and provide the answers that she and our family deserve.”

Charlotte Johnson, the specialist medical negligence solicitor at Irwin Mitchell acting on behalf of the family, stated: “Yaszmin’s death has had a devastating impact on her loved ones, who continue to struggle to come to terms with losing her at such a young age. Understandably, they have a number of questions regarding the events leading up to her death and how what should have been such a joyous time for Yaszmin and her family ended in tragedy.”

She added: “While nothing can change what happened, the inquest represents an important opportunity to establish the facts and help the family gain a better understanding of the circumstances surrounding Yaszmin’s death and whether there are lessons to be learned to improve patient safety and help prevent other families from experiencing a similar loss.”

Yaszmin is also survived by her father Roy, sister Karla and her brother Wayne. The inquest is scheduled to commence at London Inner South Coroner’s Court on Tuesday and is anticipated to last up to four days.

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