Heather Boyd, 38, nearly died following the procedure at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock in January this year
04:30, 15 Oct 2025Updated 09:53, 15 Oct 2025
Mum heather with baby Charlie(Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Daily Record)
A mum was left fighting for her life and placed into two induced comas after giving birth by caesarean section.
Heather Boyd, 38, has told how she nearly died following the procedure at Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock in January this year. The mum-of-five was admitted to the hospital’s maternity unit after she suddenly fell unwell at 35 weeks pregnant with her son, Charlie.
She reported experiencing “excruciating” stomach pains, however, medics put her symptoms down to constipation and told her to go for a bath. It wasn’t until Heather started throwing up that they rushed her into theatre to perform an emergency C-section.
Recalling the horror ordeal, Heather, from Saltcoats, said: “I’ve had four other children so when I started experiencing these pains, I knew they weren’t normal.
“I was screaming in agony and they told me to go for a bath.
“I started throwing up when they realised Charlie wasn’t coping well so that’s when they decided to do an emergency C-section.
“At that point, I was in so much pain that I just wanted the agony to stop, I’ve never experienced pain like it before.”
Baby Charlie with mum Heather and dad Andrew(Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Daily Record)
Charlie was delivered safely and Heather was stitched back up having been told the procedure was successful.
But after complications, Heather’s stomach ballooned and she began throwing up ” faeces and bile”.
The mum said she was then given a second operation to treat an abscess.
But during the procedure, her bowel was perforated – leaving holes in the wall of her intestine which allowed its contents to leak into her abdominal cavity.
The injury, which can be caused by medical procedures, can cause a life-threatening infection called peritonitis, which can lead to sepsis.
Heather was placed into two induced comas(Image: Alasdair MacLeod/Daily Record)
Heather said: “After the C-section, I fell really unwell again, I was throwing up feces and green bile and my stomach swelled right back up.
“I knew something wasn’t right. I was sick but in my gut I knew something was seriously wrong.
“I underwent the surgery and was told I had a perforated bowel.”
Heather contracted sepsis and went into septic shock shortly after the operation.
She was placed into two induced comas, each lasting several days.
Crosshouse Hospital(Image: Irvine Herald)
She continued: “After the surgery, everything was blurry.
“I contracted sepsis and was actually in a state of septic shock.
“I was placed into two induced comas and brushed with death twice.
“My partner Andrew came to see me when I was in a coma and said my body was cold.
“I’m lucky to be alive.”
Heather remained in hospital for six months before eventually being discharged in June.
She has returned home to her family, but has been left with a gaping 16-inch hole across her abdomen.
The mum now requires the use of a stoma bag and a feeding tube.
Heather’s open abdomen(Image: Supplied)
She also dropped to 7st in weight and has suffered significant hair loss as a result of the stress on her body.
Heather claims that there has been no correspondence from her doctors over if – or when – her open abdomen can be closed back up.
She continued: “I feel helpless and at a loss because I’m trying to get better and lead a normal life but I can’t.
“I have been left in such a mess – my abdomen constantly leaks and I’m having to go for about four baths a day, it’s horrible.
“I constantly feel dirty, can’t leave my home and can’t even wear normal clothes – I’m living in pyjamas because that is what is comfortable right now.
“Aside from that, I missed out on the first six months of my son’s life, a crucial time that I’ll never be able to get back.
“My other children are suffering too, I can’t care for them in the way I did before all of this.
“Had the hospital acted quicker from the offset when I was still pregnant, then this whole disaster may have been avoided.
“Childbirth is basic women’s healthcare, what should have been a simple procedure nearly left me dead.
“I feel lucky to be alive but I haven’t been able to live a normal life since giving birth, every day is a hurdle.”
Statement by Jennifer Wilson, Executive Nurse Director at NHS Ayrshire and Arran said: “Due to patient confidentiality, we are unable to comment on individual cases.
“We understand how important it is for people to feel heard and supported. Our complaints handling process allows us to listen, understand and respond directly with anyone who has concerns about the care or support they have received.”