A mother who lost 22 pints of blood during childbirth praised the “incredible” NHS team who saved her and her daughter’s life in south London.
Harriet Paget, 36, suffered a set of rare and life-threatening complications at St George’s Hospital in Tooting which consultants describe as their “most challenging” case to date
Mrs Paget, from Farnham, Surrey, was admitted following a diagnosis of placenta accreta after experiencing bleeding at 30 weeks.
It causes the placenta to grow too deeply into the womb.
For the the mother-of-three, had passed through to the uterine wall, meaning delivering a baby could prove fatal.
Due to the serious condition, Mrs Paget ended up being hospitalised during the latter stages of pregnancy, before having her daughter at 35 weeks.
She is so touched by the care received at St George’s, she gave her daughter the middle name Ana as a special tribute to her consultant, Ana Pinas.
Mrs Paget is now urging the public to celebrate their health heroes in the local NHS equivalent of the Oscars.
Now in its second year, the St George’s, Epsom and St Helier University Hospitals and Health Group’s CARE Awards recognise excellent clinical and essential support staff.
Mrs Paget said: “It can be miserable living out parts of your pregnancy in hospital when you’re away from your family, but the caring teams at St George’s made it bearable.
“During the time I stayed in the hospital, I was filled with gratitude for everyone who cared for me both during my pregnancy and my recovery – and of course to all who were instrumental in saving my life.”
Thanks to a specialist accreta team led by obstetrics and fetal medicine consultant Ms Pinas, Mrs Paget’s daughter was born via a planned C-section in May last year.
The infant needed immediate breathing support, while her mother was also taken to intensive care – they both recovered and went home eight days later.
Mrs Paget continued: “When you’re vulnerable like I was, it’s very important that the care you receive makes you feel that things are going to be okay.
“During my pregnancy, I was away from home a lot and that made me so appreciative of how giving NHS workers are. It’s also made me so admirable of NHS workers who give such dedicated care.”
Mrs Paget took part in London Landmarks Half Marathon in April and raised more than £5,000 for St George’s charity.
She said: “The care I had at St George’s was incredible – from the consultants to the nurses, to the catering staff.
“The level of care I received has given me a new-found respect.
“It’s great that the public can nominate a dedicated worker for a much-deserved award.”
Kate Slemeck, managing director at St George’s Hospital, said: “We really welcome hearing from patients about the expert care they’ve received from our clinical and support teams – they go above and beyond for people like Harriet and her daughter every day.
“I am so proud of the dedicated care we provide – and I hope people will nominate their health heroes to help us all celebrate them and what they do.”
Davina Metters, director of fundraising and communications at St George’s Hospital Charity, added: “We were so in awe of Harriet when she took on the London Landmarks Half Marathon after her life-saving treatment. Raising over £5,000 was a truly inspiring way to give back to the staff who cared for her.”
Consultant Ms Pinas said: “Harriet was one of our most challenging cases to date and proof that good team-work is the key to safe and excellent care for our patients.
“I will never forget the feeling when I saw her awake and well in the Intensive Care Unit, only 24 hours after we were concerned about her life. It is an honour to have her little girl named after me – they will always have a special place in my heart.”
Last year, more than 500 staff were nominated for a GESH CARE Award.
