A PERSEVERANCE, Essequibo Coast family is mourning the death of their 24-year-old daughter, Jaiwanti Chanderpaul, and her newborn a mere 12 hours apart.

The baby was born on Wednesday morning and died on Wednesday night, while the mother died at approximately midday on Thursday, without ever knowing that her child had died, according to Jaiwanti’s bereaved relatives.

Delivery was allegedly induced on the woman, who was 26 weeks pregnant, in order to save both her life and the life of her baby, since she was having gynaecological complications; and she allegedly gave birth by caesarian section. The surgery was successful, relatives recall, adding that Jaiwanti had witnessed her baby in good health, and had communicated with her mother, Jenny Chanderpaul, who was at her bedside.

Mysteriously, by Wednesday night, a few hours after delivery, the newborn had passed away; and within hours of that grave misfortune, Jaiwanti had also succumbed. Relatives are hoping that post-mortem examinations would reveal the cause(s) of their deaths.
Jaiwanti, who was just over six months into pregnancy, had been diagnosed with a gynaecological complication in her first trimester (at 12 weeks), and had travelled to the city to have surgery done at a city hospital in November. She had been okay for the first few weeks following that surgery, her relatives said, but thereafter began feeling ill again. As her pregnancy advanced, her relatives decided to take her to another hospital in Georgetown.
She had been admitted to the GPHC early in January, and remained there until the time of her death on Thursday. “She spent 14 weeks in the hospital (where she died on Thursday), and a few days ago, doctor decided that she should have the baby so as to save both lives. She had the baby Wednesday morning, and it came out good. Jaiwanti spoke with her mother, who was regularly at her bedside, but I don’t know what went wrong and by Wednesday night, the baby died,” a tearful relative recounted. “As for Jaiwanti, all we know is that she ‘took down’ (on) Thursday and passed away.”

Asked whether her demise might have been in response to her newborn’s death, the relatives said no, adding that Jaiwanti did not even know that the baby had died. Medical authorities still cannot say what went wrong, because Jaiwanti’s delivery was safe. “All we know is that she died around midday Thursday,” a relative sobbed.
Grieving relatives are lamenting the fact that after Jaiwanti had been admitted to the GPHC, and after she had had surgical procedures done at two private hospitals, both Jaiwanti and her baby are now dead, and they still do not know exactly why.
Both bodies have been taken to the Sandy’s Funeral Home, where, at midday, yesterday, they were being prepared for transfer to the Essequibo Coast.
Jainti is survived by her parents: Wallie Chanderpaul, also called ‘Ram’, and Jennny Chanderpaul; two sisters: Susie and Rema, and one brother, ‘Boy’; aunt, Dolly, and other relatives and friends.

Jaiwanti and her baby will be cremated at the weekend.

(By Shirley Thomas)