A first-time mother who had tried for a baby for five years tragically died from a catastrophic brain bleed just days after giving birth, never having held her newborn son.
Ilona Kazik, a 32-year-old described as "beautiful, fun and intelligent", passed away 11 days after her son Antony was delivered by caesarean section at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital.
A long-awaited pregnancy ends in tragedy
Ilona and her husband Rafal, 43, had been trying to conceive for approximately five years before falling pregnant. The couple were "overjoyed" at the prospect of starting their family.
The day before giving birth on Valentine's Day 2023, Ilona was diagnosed with high blood pressure while at the hospital's maternity triage unit. She was prescribed medication and discharged in the early hours of February 13 with instructions to return if concerns arose.
She returned later that day reporting a headache but was discharged again, only to come back that evening for a scheduled induction of labour. Her blood pressure remained elevated throughout.
The catastrophic events after delivery
Antony was delivered in good condition via caesarean section at approximately 5.35pm on February 14. Mere hours after the birth, Ilona experienced a major obstetric haemorrhage.
She subsequently reported severe headaches, blurred vision and vomiting before becoming unresponsive. A CT scan revealed she had suffered a significant brain bleed.
Ilona was immediately transferred to Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge during the early hours of February 15. Despite specialist intervention, doctors could not save her, and her life support was turned off on February 25.
A family seeking answers
Rafal Kazik, who has given up his construction work to care for his son, is now demanding answers from hospital bosses ahead of an inquest into his wife's death.
"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," the devastated husband said.
He has instructed medical negligence lawyers at Irwin Mitchell to investigate the care his wife received. The law firm emphasised that high blood pressure during pregnancy requires appropriate treatment to prevent serious complications.
The inquest into Ilona's death is scheduled to begin at Lawrence Court in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, on Monday, November 17, and is expected to last up to five days.
Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, which operates Luton and Dunstable Hospital, stated they are "fully assisting" the coroner and remain "deeply saddened" by Ilona's death.
