In November 2021, a 33-year-old woman from Heraklion, Crete, learned she was pregnant for the second time. After a smooth first pregnancy, she felt reassured as she approached this new chapter. She opted to continue her care with the same obstetrician-gynecologist at Venizeleio Hospital. However, this pregnancy proved far more challenging. From the beginning, she endured severe, unrelenting vomiting, which doctors dismissed as typical pregnancy symptoms. As months passed, her situation deteriorated. By her fifth month, she was unable to eat or drink, causing her vitality to diminish. Her husband, witnessing her suffering, felt powerless. “I couldn’t eat, drink, or live,” she recounted. “I felt like a plant, surviving on nothing.”
During three appointments at Venizeleio, her doctor was absent. Different physicians assessed her, measured her blood pressure, and advised her to rest—but no concerns were raised. When she contacted her doctor, he recommended over-the-counter gastrointestinal relief. When that failed, he suggested another medication without performing any examinations or hospital admissions. She continued to decline.
In June 2022, she could no longer cope and checked herself into the hospital. Efforts to feed her were unsuccessful, and her vomiting persisted. A gastroenterologist suggested urgent endoscopy and esophageal dilation, but neither was performed due to her pregnancy.
On June 13, labor pains began—premature contractions. The doctors aimed to postpone delivery for a few hours to provide injections to aid the baby’s lung development. Despite the couple’s pleas for a cesarean section, the attending physician deemed it unnecessary. The baby was born alive, breathing and crying, but tragically, it died shortly after.
The exhausted mother had no time to grieve. Hours after giving birth, she experienced unbearable pain. Repeatedly, she told doctors something was amiss, only to be told, “Just contractions.” Finally, when her hematocrit levels soared, a CT scan was ordered, revealing sepsis and a pulmonary embolism. She ended up in the ICU, undergoing surgery that removed half of her stomach.
The initial surgery failed to reconnect her esophagus and stomach, leading to further complications and a second surgery eight days later. Fed intravenously, she existed without food or water, relying solely on intravenous drops of hope. In August, she was transferred to Hippocrateio Hospital in Athens, where she spent four months in a specialized unit struggling to regain basic bodily functions. The focus shifted from recovery to mere survival.
“I currently weigh 32 kilos,” she shared with palpable despair. “I’m under the care of a nutritionist at PAGNI and on specialized medication to try to increase my weight, but my body isn’t responding. We started at 32 kilos—each gram we gain is a victory.”
She stressed a crucial detail that had been overlooked: she had previously undergone an esophageal surgery for achalasia. “My doctor knew from the start. I informed the gynecologist who saw me in his absence, but no one took it seriously. Two months without food could threaten not just a baby’s life, but mine too.”
Initially weighing 45 kilos at the start of her pregnancy, she dropped to 43 by seven months, and after her ordeal, she fell to 32. “My life changed drastically. I’m not the person I used to be. I can’t live like I did before, and I can’t forget that my baby died from my starvation—I nearly did too.”
She Entered to Give Birth, Departed with Severe Brain Damage
In early 2022, a 36-year-old farmer from Heraklion and his wife were excitedly preparing for their third child. The pregnancy had been complication-free, and she was under the care of a different obstetrician at Venizeleio. Her delivery was scheduled for early August, but on the night of June 30, her water broke, and they quickly went to the hospital.
On July 9, 2022, she underwent a cesarean section, resulting in a healthy newborn. However, misfortune struck the mother.
For the first 48 hours post-delivery, everything appeared stable. That evening, she got out of bed and walked; the following day, she did the same. The husband returned home that night after speaking with her and ensuring all was well. The next morning, July 11, the unimaginable happened. Minutes after receiving her morning IV medication, she collapsed. “My mother-in-law was there. She said my wife suddenly felt ill, called for a doctor, and within seconds, fell unconscious.”
Immediate resuscitation efforts ensued. Upon arrival, her husband encountered a chaotic scene:
“The room was packed with doctors. One came out and said: ‘We don’t know exactly what happened. She went into cardiac arrest, but we revived her.’”
A CT scan followed, and she was moved to the ICU, where she remained in a coma—unaware and unresponsive. Two days later, their doctor removed the ventilator. “He said he feared she might be brain-dead.” However, during another attempt to extubate her, she moved her hands, sparking a glimmer of hope, though it was tenuous at best.
Later transferred to the Internal Medicine ward, she caught a respiratory infection. A follow-up scan revealed fluid at the cesarean site, necessitating another surgery and another ICU stay. After returning to the ward, she could now move her arms and legs, open her eyes, and turn her head, but communication was impossible.
“She was there…but she wasn’t,” her husband lamented. “She couldn’t speak or comprehend our words.” Eventually, she was sent to a rehabilitation center named “Olympion,” where she remained until January 2023.
She’s Alive — But Not Like Before
Today, she lives at home with her family—but not in a truly present manner. “With assistance, she can walk a few steps inside the house,” her husband explained. “She can’t go outside, can’t care for herself, not even for basic needs.” Her speech is limited to single words, and she can’t engage in meaningful conversation or express her needs clearly.
Doctors confirmed that her severe brain damage resulted from prolonged oxygen deprivation. It appears the cardiac arrest was triggered by an allergic reaction to the IV medication administered that morning.
She Underwent a Scheduled C-section – the Baby Died from Pneumothorax Hours Later
The third case, currently under investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office for potential medical negligence, involves another young woman who went to a public maternity hospital in August for the delivery of her first child. At 39 weeks, she was admitted for a scheduled cesarean section.
Initially, the surgery went smoothly. The mother was recovering and the baby was born alive. However, within two hours, doctors noted the newborn exhibited respiratory distress, prompting immediate transfer to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for close observation. Despite initial stabilization, the baby’s condition deteriorated, leading to a diagnosis of pneumothorax—a serious complication that required swift medical intervention.
The newborn was intubated, but sadly, despite the medical team’s best efforts, the baby did not survive.
This loss was devastating for the parents. They entered the hospital anticipating a safe delivery, only to mourn their child hours later without a clear explanation. The case is part of the prosecutor’s preliminary investigation. The responsible prosecutor has requested a complete medical file for the newborn and sworn statements from the involved neonatologists. Furthermore, an independent expert obstetrician-gynecologist has been appointed to examine whether there were any delays, inadequate actions, or omissions in managing the situation.
Additionally, according to the victims’ attorney, Mr. Lefteris Kartsounas, another woman from the Lasithi region has reached out, claiming she also lost her baby at Venizeleio Hospital during the same timeframe as the other cases.
As he pointed out, these were normal pregnancies with no prior medical issues suggesting such tragic outcomes. “I truly do not believe these are coincidences. We need clear answers,” he stressed.
Once the preliminary investigation concludes, the prosecutor will evaluate whether sufficient evidence exists for criminal offenses. If responsibility is determined, those accountable may face legal action, potentially even charges of manslaughter through negligence.
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