'Had I stayed at Surrey, my baby would have died': New mother details harrowing child birth
More horror stories are emerging from Surrey Memorial Hospital, as a series of public letters written by frontline staff continue to highlight the perils of staff shortages.
New mother Tanisha Duffill says she nearly lost her son Noah due to inadequate care at the hospital in November.
Duffill had initially planned to deliver at the family birthing unit using a midwife.
“I wanted to be in the hospital, I wanted to have medication if I needed it. I was going to try a natural birth if I could. But of course, it being my first baby, I wasn't sure if I could,” said Duffill.
She says she had pre-registered at the hospital, but was nervous because of local news stories about other mothers having bad experiences.
She went into labour on her due date and followed the instructions she had been given by the hospital to wait until her contractions were about three minutes apart before seeking treatment.
When she arrived at Surrey Memorial, however, she was told she wasn’t dilated enough, given medication and sent home.
“I remember saying to them at that time, ‘You know guys, like, something is wrong here. Something doesn't feel right,’” Duffill told CTV News.
About seven hours after leaving the hospital, she began to worry.
“My contractions became three minutes long and one minute apart and I was like, ‘That's really weird’,” she recalled.
She returned to the hospital and was brought back into triage.
“They sat me there and they were like, ‘OK, well, you know, we don't have a room for you right now. We're just gonna try to make you comfortable’,” Duffill said.
She says she asked for medication for the pain, but was told she couldn’t have any until she was admitted.
Duffill says she was scared and felt like she was being abandoned.
“I'm sitting in a triage area, and there are doctors and nurses around me, no one's really attending to me. Nobody's really making sure everything is okay. I haven't been physically checked,” she said.
She said they did check her baby’s heartbeat, but other than that, she sat and waited.
“It was awful. I actually started pleading for help. It hurt really bad,” said Duffill.
She said staff were apologetic, but told her it would likely be another nine hours before they could find her a room.
Duffill also said she was told that her blood pressure was getting dangerously high.
“They were like ‘Your liver seems to be shutting down, Tanisha.’ And I was like, ‘So why don't I have a room then if I'm in dire need?’” She questioned.
The mom-to-be says she was given the option to transfer to Burnaby Hospital where she could be admitted right away.
She says she was told it was her responsibility to make the journey on her own.
“I was very confused and I said to my husband, ‘But if my liver is shutting down, and I'm going have high blood pressure, why is it that we can make a 30-minute drive to Burnaby? With no one assessing if I'm okay?” Duffill said.
When the couple arrived, they were seen almost immediately.
“The OBGYN there checked me, I had nurses all around me, there was lots of staff there. And immediately they realized something was wrong,” Duffill said.
She said they began running tests and everytime she had a contraction, her baby’s heartbeat would drop rapidly.
“He was basically dying inside of me and they caught it right away,” she said.
Duffill required an emergency Caesarean section and was rushed to the operating room.
During the surgery, her medical team found a knot in the cord of her placenta.
“When I was laboring, the knot was getting tighter and it meant that the baby wasn't getting any oxygen. The only time they ever really diagnose a knot that tight is in a stillborn baby. So had I stayed at Surrey, my baby would have died,” said Duffill.
Months later, the reality of the situation she was put in is still hard for her to come to terms with.
“I fear for anyone that isn't that vocal and would have just trusted the system,” she said.
Earlier this week, dozens of obstetricians and gynecologists issued a letter saying the hospital was in crisis.
They say staffing shortages have led to an untold number of close calls and even the death of a newborn baby.
The group says patients often lack access to effective pain management and don't receive necessary privacy during or after childbirth.
Duffill says those claims don’t surprise her and she’s particularly concerned for mothers who cannot advocate for themselves the way she did.
“I only wonder if women that couldn't speak English that came here for help, would have to wait and God forbid something happens” she said.
Surrey Memorial was built to accommodate 4,000 births per year, but the average is now at 6,000.
Fraser Health declined to comment on the case but provided a statement saying anyone with concerns about their care should contact the health authority's Patient Care Quality Office.
"Delivering a baby should be a life-changing, joyous occasion and we are sorry to hear about this person's experience while receiving care at one of our sites," a spokesperson wrote in an email.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP calls out Conservatives for effort to squash pharmacare legislation
The federal New Democrats are calling out Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre and his party for trying to block the bill that could pave the way for millions of Canadians to access birth control and diabetes coverage.
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, argues he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers of Jeremy Skibicki have admitted in court the accused killed four Indigenous women, but argues he is not criminally responsible for the deaths by way of mental disorder – this latest development has triggered a judge-alone trial rather than a jury trial.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Mediterranean staple may lower your risk of death from dementia, study finds
A daily spoonful of olive oil could lower your risk of dying from dementia, according to a new study by Harvard scientists.
A subset of Alzheimer's cases may be caused by two copies of a single gene, new research shows
For the first time, researchers have identified a genetic form of late-in-life Alzheimer’s disease — in people who inherit two copies of a worrisome gene.
Ontario MPP asked again to leave Ontario legislature over keffiyeh, Speaker loosens ban
An Ontario MPP was asked again to leave the Ontario legislature on Monday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment that was banned by the Speaker last month due to its political symbolism.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Trudeau Liberals to unveil new bill Monday aimed at countering foreign interference
Democratic Institutions Minister Dominic LeBlanc will be tabling legislation on Monday aimed at countering foreign interference in Canada. Federal officials have scheduled a technical briefing on the incoming bill for Monday afternoon.