BED-STUY, Brooklyn (PIX11) — A somber balloon release was held outside NYC Health + Hospitals/Woodhull Wednesday night, marking two years since the passing of Christine Fields who died after what her family says were complications following an emergency C-section.
Her fiancé, Jose Perez, has been grieving since losing Fields on that tragic day in 2023.
“It’s stressful,” he said. “Missing her. It hasn’t been easy taking care of the baby, taking care of my daughter just on my own basically. So, it’s been rough.”
According to her family, the 30-year-old’s death was caused by the hospital staff’s failure to properly carry out an emergency C-section and monitor Fields post-surgery. A subsequent investigation into maternal and infant deaths at the city-run hospital led to the firing of a doctor.
Fields’ sister, Kiara McKay, says no other family should experience this anguish.
“This is not the first,” said McKay. “This clearly won’t be the last, and it wasn’t the last.
She added, “What is the hospital going to do to make situations like this better for any woman, honestly speaking.”
According to the city’s health department, an average of 20 women die each year from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes. Black and Brown women make up a majority of the fatalities.
NYC Health + Hospitals has previously said the hospital system has revamped protocols across its obstetrics and anesthesiology departments.
A spokesperson said in a statement, “Across our health system, we are using innovative interventions that we believe will address the disparities and race-based health care gaps that historically and disproportionally affect the diverse population of patients we proudly serve.”
While the family’s lawsuit against the hospital system is still pending, Perez is pushing for the passage of the Grieving Families Act — a proposed law that would let families seek compensation for emotional suffering in addition to financial loss.
The bill has been vetoed by Governor Kathy Hochul three times, saying it would likely result in unintended costs to patients and consumers, among other unintended consequences.
Still, Perez said the hardships he faces underscore the importance of the bill.
“I had to leave my job to raise my children,” said Perez. “I have to pay bills. I have to continue living. It’s not easy not being able to go to work.”
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