Written by Judy Boyd, mother of Monica Boyd Ashworth, who died of a pulmonary embolism on March 7, 2024, 12 days after giving birth to her son.
I want to advocate for new moms-to-be so they don’t die as our daughter did—right here in Northern Virginia. The United States has the most advanced health care system in the world, yet pulmonary emboli are a leading cause of death among new mothers for up to three months following the birth, even in highly educated, highly served areas.
Monica lived just outside of Washington, DC where the health care is generally excellent, and yet she has died from a treatable ailment. Please listen and spread the word of “Monica’s Plea” not just to new moms, but to all who are in contact with new moms. Information and awareness prior to giving birth is key to stopping premature deaths for mothers and we must also get the word out to doctors, nurses, hospitals, midwives, medical schools, clinics, and women of childbearing age.
New mom-to-be, as you and your family are planning for the arrival of the new little one, I implore you to include some essential education for yourself. Not all doctors’ offices, midwives, and hospitals effectively communicate the warning signs of a potential PE (pulmonary embolism). A PE is when a blood clot in a vein is carried to the lungs, usually resulting in death.
I want to passionately inform you in memory of our late daughter Monica to please call your doctor with any new symptoms after delivery (and up to three months postpartum) to learn if you should be concerned and need to go to the ER. Symptoms include throbbing or cramping pain, swelling, redness and warmth in a leg or arm, shortness of breath, dizziness, and chest pain. Please don’t put off telling your doctor until your six-week follow-up. Monica thought her calf tightness that caused her to limp was from the epidural, and she “hurt all over” from her hard labor. Twelve days after giving birth, she collapsed and died of a PE leaving her family bereft and her infant son without his mother.
Many have wondered, “How could this have happened in 2024?” Our daughter was an athlete and suffered her share of injuries. She and her husband were sleep-deprived caring for their new son, and Monica wasn’t thinking about herself. Did anyone warn her of the indicators of a PE? Did her OB’s office? Did the hospital maternity floor doctors or nurses? Did her son’s pediatrician? The answers are all “No!” They must have thought someone else would tell her.
So where was the information that explained the critical warning signs? They were included within the pile of discharge papers sent home with her from the hospital—not the first page, not tabbed for the discharge person to easily flip to so as to alert Monica and her husband of these very important instructions. No one, to our knowledge, took less than 15 seconds, let’s say less than 16 seconds (that was Monica’s soccer jersey number) it takes to explain this vital information to a new mom. Any or all of the previously mentioned medical professionals could have—should have—shown and told Monica, alerting her to the potentially fatal consequence of some postpartum symptoms—before the six-week follow-up appointment.
Would Monica still be alive today if she had called her doctor? Well, should we even be asking that question? We can’t change the past, but we can try to keep others from this tragedy. Will you help get out “Monica’s Plea” to every new mom in your sphere of influence? Will you, in less than 16 seconds, share this potentially life-saving information?
“Monica’s Plea” for all new moms-to-be: Please call your doctor with any new postpartum symptoms, especially leg pain and/or swelling. These warning signs could be fatal if ignored. They were for Monica. Besides being a tough athlete, she “was an outgoing, wonderful young lady with a strong faith”—a quote from the “In Loving Memory” section of this year’s yearbook, where Monica taught 8th grade math for five years.
Please get out “Monica’s Plea” so all new moms can be empowered to reach out for needed help and be well cared for—so they can then love and care for their newborns.
Honoring the life and memory of Mrs. Monica Boyd Ashworth, with fierce love, passion, and hope, as she lived.
Resources
Pregnancy/Postpartum and Blood Clots
Women and Blood Clots: Pregnancy and Childbirth
Know Your Risk
