A heartbroken dad has opened up on the agony of losing both his wife and baby in just under a year.
Wajid Ali, 30, says he will never get over losing his first child Anaya and wife Fozia Hanif, who died from coronavirus.
Anaya was stillborn in April 2019, and Fozia passed away shortly after giving birth to a baby boy, Ayaan, on April 2 2020.
Fozia had just celebrated her 29th birthday when her ventilator was turned off in Birmingham Heartlands Hospital.
Mr Ali said it was the couple's dream to start a family, but he now only has memories of his wife and the daughter he would never know.
He told BirminghamLive: "Starting trying to come to terms with losing Anaya was hard enough and, while Fozia’s death is not connected to what happened to Anaya, to be now left without my wife and daughter in the space of less than a year is something I’m not sure I’ll ever be able to get over.
"Having to say goodbye to Fozia was the hardest decision our family will ever make.
"Fozia was a wonderful, loving and caring person who wouldn’t think twice about helping others. She would have been an amazing mum.
"Ayaan will grow up knowing all about his mum and his big sister and they will always be a part of our family.
During her first pregnancy, Fozia was deemed a high-risk patient because of her history of asthma and Type-II diabetes.
She was placed under consultant-led care at Birmingham Women’s Hospital.
Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust admitted liability for Anaya’s stillbirth after a string of mistakes in her care.
The Trust was not involved in the care of Fozia when she gave birth to Ayaan.
She complained of feeling unwell in the fortnight leading to Anaya's death. But on May 1 last year, staff failed to keep Fozia in hospital to monitor her elevated blood glucose levels as well as her baby’s accelerated growth, the Trust admitted.
"Further errors" were made on May 7, when staff did not act on Fozia’s increased blood pressure and protein markers by arranging a caesarean, placing her instead on an elective waiting list, it added.
Anaya was pronounced stillborn on May 12 - the day before Fozia, who worked for the Probation Service, was due to undergo a caesarean.
An internal hospital investigation report found the planned caesarean date was three days after Anaya should have been delivered.
Mr Ali said: "It was always our dream to start a family. For most part the pregnancy ran relatively smoothly.
"We were advised at Fozia’s 20 week scan that the baby was measuring big and that there would be extra monitoring of the baby’s growth.
"Towards the end of April, Fozia started feeling unwell. We were concerned about what was happening but put our trust in those looking after us.
"To be told that Anaya had died was absolutely heart-breaking. Nothing can prepare you for those words and returning home to see a nursery full of toys that Anaya never got to play with.
"While nothing can undo what has happened all I can hope for now is that the Trust learns lessons over Anaya’s death so others don’t have to face the pain of losing a child in such circumstances.”
The couple instructed law firm Irwin Mitchell to seek answers. But Fozia died soon after giving birth to Ayaan, never even having the chance to hold him.
Ayaan tested negative for the virus.
The Trust admitted mistakes that lead to the stillbirth and issued an apology to the family.
Acting chief executive at Birmingham Women’s and Children’s NHS Foundation Trust, David Melbourne said: "We offer our unreserved and sincere apologies to Mr Ali and his family. It’s clear the standard of care offered to Fozia at the time did not meet the standards they should have rightly expected.
"Neither did they meet the standards we set ourselves as a Trust. We know no amount of words can ever make up for the family’s loss.
"A thorough investigation has been conducted, with lessons being learned and actions put in place to ensure such mistakes do not happen in the future."
Irwin Mitchell lawyer Shay Williams said: “What was meant to be such a joyous occasion for Fozia and Wajid turned to sheer heartbreak.
“When a pregnant woman with diabetes has high blood glucose levels, her baby will store this as body fat, making the baby larger than normal. Therefore, close monitoring and tight control of blood glucose levels is key to ensuring a safe pregnancy and delivery
“We believe that, if Fozia had been admitted to hospital, her condition could have been monitored, and if required, an appropriate care plan put in place and ultimately, Fozia would have delivered a healthy baby girl. Sadly this didn’t happen, with devastating consequences for the family.
“Understandably the last 15 months have been incredibly difficult for Wajid. While nothing can make up for what has happened we welcome the Trust’s apology and acknowledgment to learn lessons from Anaya’s death. It’s now vital that the highest standards of care are upheld at all times."
