An inquest has recorded a verdict of death by natural causes on Jane England, who died in Southend Hospital, just days after giving birth to triplets. In a moving tribute to his wife, Martin England explains how he must carry on life without her - for the sake of their three babies.
Even now, nearly eight months after my wife's death, I still just cannot come to terms with or attempt to understand what happened that week in December.
On November 30, 1998, Jane and I were together, celebrating the birth of our triplets, Harry, Sophie and Matthew, the happiest day of our lives. Seven days later on December 7, I was totally devastated. Jane had died.
Jane went into hospital to have a routine Caesarean section - she died seven days later, from septicaemia. She did not come home with her babies. Jane would have made a fantastic mum, it was all she ever wanted to be and she has been robbed of that chance.
Life is so cruel and for this to happen is so tragic. Yet it should never have happened. No one else should ever have to suffer this experience.
Jane was a kind, considerate and loving young person with so much to live for. She loved children and being pregnant with triplets was her life and her future. I had never seen her happier than while she was pregnant, but because of the various problems at Southend Hospital, her life was so tragically ended.
My life has been like living in a nightmare ever since the day Jane died. Everything is numb, everything is traumatic. I should be at home with our triplets as a complete family, but now one person is always missing. I keep asking myself: Why?
Our triplets are nearly eight months old and all doing fine, even Sophie, with her heart condition, is growing well. Jane would have loved them so dearly. Jane was not only my wife, she was my best friend and the mother of our children.
Life is so empty without her by my side. Every day I look at the triplets and think why is she not here with them, watching them smile and laugh, feeding them, dressing them, bathing them, doing all the mother and baby things.
The mental trauma and stress which has been put on me because of Jane's death is far too great to imagine. Within that one week, I have experienced emotions - so high and then so low - that I need some answers as to why this has happened.
We all need the answers so we can tell the triplets why they are without a mum. Otherwise, what do I say to them on Mother's day when they are older?
Anyone involved in the care of Jane England during that week should seriously think about what happened.
I won't let this rest until the answers are found. Southend Hospital should make a statement regarding this maternal death. I'll ask them questions about why this happened. Why did a perfectly healthy, young mum of 30, who gave birth to triplets, die of septicaemia only seven days later, while still in the hospital's care?
The inquest has raised more questions than answers. The civil action will now progress things further. The answers will be found and blame will be attached somewhere.
The triplets need the answers - what do I tell them as they all get older and they then ask me: "Where is our mummy?"
The main beneficiaries of our legal action against Southend Hospital NHS Trust will be Jane's dependants - our triplets. What is the price of a mum? The triplets will require a vast amount care through their life. They would have been dependent upon their mum.
No children should be without their mum, but I will do my best to be both mum and dad to them. They will never ever be short of love.
For now, I have three beautiful babies to look after and I will bring them up just as Jane would have wanted.
I will never forget the smile on Jane's face the day they were born. She was so happy and proud for those six days. As the triplets grow older, I will never stop telling them all about her and what a wonderful mum she was.
She brought them into this world, but sadly, she won't have the pleasure of seeing them grow up.
Jane was very loving and very enthusiastic about life, especially with the triplets. It hasn't really sunk in yet. The triplets are keeping me together. If it wasn't for them, I'd fall apart. All my friends and family are rallying around to help us and I do not know what I would have done without them.
I'm just concentrating on supporting the triplets and getting the right answers about Jane's death.
We all grieve for Jane and I miss her so much. I will never be able to come to terms with her death, but I try to live with it day by day.
At least still I have part of Jane - in each of our three lovely children and I will tell them all about their mum.
They will get to know how special she was and how much she cared for them while she was pregnant."
Martin with Jane - "Life is so cruel..."
Converted for the new archive on 19 November 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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