A grieving husband is demanding urgent answers from hospital authorities after his wife tragically died from a catastrophic brain haemorrhage just days after giving birth to their son.
A Dream Turned to Tragedy
Ilona Kazik, a 32-year-old who worked in a hospital herself, gave birth to her first child, Antony, via caesarean section on Valentine's Day 2023. She and her husband, Rafal, were overjoyed, having spent five years trying for a baby.
Their happiness was devastatingly short-lived. Just hours after the delivery, Ilona complained of severe headaches, blurred vision, and vomiting before becoming unresponsive. She never had the opportunity to cradle her newborn son.
Rapidly Deteriorating Condition
The day before giving birth, Ilona was diagnosed with high blood pressure. Despite being administered medication, her condition worsened significantly after the caesarean.
A subsequent CT scan revealed the new mother had suffered a major obstetric bleed on the brain. She was rushed to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge for specialist care, but doctors concluded nothing could be done to save her.
Her life support was switched off on February 25, 2023 - just 11 days after her son Antony was born.
A Family's Search for Truth
Rafal, 43, from Luton, is now seeking answers ahead of an inquest into his wife's death, which is due to open. He has instructed medical negligence lawyers to investigate the care his "beautiful, fun and intelligent" wife received.
The construction worker, who gave up his job to care for his son, shared heartfelt memories of his wife: "Ilona and I met on separate holidays in Egypt in 2016 and we hit it off straight away. She was beautiful, fun and intelligent. Everything just seemed to click."
He described Ilona as a loving, artistic person who enjoyed gardening, painting, and designing. "We’d been trying for a baby for around five years and were overjoyed when Ilona fell pregnant. Her pregnancy seemed to go smoothly," he added.
"I still struggle to come to terms with how she went into hospital to give birth and never came home. Ilona would have been an amazing mum and one of the hardest things to try and come to terms with is how she never got to hold Antony and that she will not see him grow up."
Rafal expressed the profound impact of his loss, stating, "It’s almost impossible to find the words to express how traumatic Ilona’s death has been and the impact it’s had on our family. Ilona meant the world to me."
He concluded, "While more than two years have passed, the devastation of losing Ilona - especially in the way we did, hasn’t eased. Our family will never be the same again and having so many unanswered questions adds to the hurt and pain I live with daily."
