Killed midwife’s legacy to grieving parents
Christchurch chef Sam Gloag has experienced the devastating loss of a stillbirth twice in just over a year.
The 24-year-old was 23 weeks into her pregnancy with her first son, Oliver, and had just finished working a 10-hour shift when she started experiencing pain on August 1, 2017.
She was rushed to Christchurch Hospital’s emergency department but by the time she was transferred to Christchurch Women’s Hospital, he had died.
‘‘By the looks on their [hospital staff members’] faces, you could tell it wasn’t good,’’ she said.
Gloag later found out she had an incompetent cervix, meaning weakening of the cervical tissue that could contribute to premature births and deaths.
She fell pregnant again shortly after, but was only 25 weeks along when she went into labour with her second son, Levi, on September 4, 2018. Levi died after Gloag’s cervix closed around his head during birth.
Following the deaths of both of her sons, Gloag was taken to a ‘‘garden room’’ at the hospital where she was able to take photos and spend time with them.
Levi was placed in a CuddleCot, but Oliver was not. A CuddleCot is a cooling system that slows any deterioration and allowing bereaved families to keep their babies close for up to three days.
The late Tai Tarulata Dixon, a Christchurch Women’s Hospitalbased midwife, was particularly focused on helping families to deal with the trauma having a stillbirth.
The 40-year-old mother-of-two died in a crash at the intersection of Sandy Knolls Rd and West Coast Rd, near West Melton, about 9.50pm on June 2 last year.
Dixon’s husband, Scott, has donated a CuddleCot to Christchurch Women’s Hospital to ‘‘carry on her legacy’’.
He donated another two cots to the Nelson Marlborough District Health Board.
About $15,000 had been spent to get the cots into the country, all of which had been raised through fundraising efforts by his late wife’s family and friends.
‘‘Tai really loved helping people and I think this is a reflection of her work in stillbirth, and a nice way to remember such a special, caring and kind lady. I think she would be happy to [still] be helping people.’’
He and his daughters, Iona and Lucia, were missing Dixon with ‘‘all of our hearts’’.
‘‘It’s particularly heartbreaking to see the looks on our daughters’ faces when they see other kids hanging out with their mums. Normally kids their age don’t have a need to understand death and what it means.’’
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Gloag said the CuddleCot drastically changed her experience of stillbirth, and she urged any mother in the same position to request one. ‘‘We were able to spend more time with Levi without him looking awful and we were able to stay overnight. With Oliver it was really hard to see him all [deteriorated].’’
She hoped sharing her story would encourage others to do the same. ‘‘I know it’s hard but it helps with the healing process.’’
Gloag gave birth to a healthy daughter, Poppy, in December.
Canterbury District Health Board midwifery director Norma Campbell said staff were ‘‘humbled’’ that Scott Dixon had chosen to donate one of the cots to Christchurch Women’s Hospital.
‘‘For [the Dixon] family to take the time in their grief to actually think about what might be needed and what Tai would’ve wanted means an awful lot to us.’’
She said the cot was much more modern and streamlined than the older versions available at the hospital and would provide a better experience for parents.
‘‘It’s a lovely memory and something that was dear to Tai’s heart as she always put her hand up to work in the garden room.’’