An international chess champion died seven days after a 'complex' Caesarean section due to sepsis, an inquest has heard. Sue Yuchan Maroroa Jones, 32, passed away at the Northern General Hospital in Sheffield on 10 May 2023.
The hearing at Sheffield Medico-Legal Centre was told that Mrs Maroroa Jones had initially planned a home birth for her second child in spring 2023, but opted for a Caesarean section at Jessop Wing on 27 April. Medical professionals described the procedure as 'complex', and she lost four pints of blood during the operation, leading to more frequent observations.
Head of midwifery Laura Rumsey said Mrs Maroroa Jones' care on Whirlow Ward was uneventful, and she was discharged on day two. In the following days, she attended appointments at the Children's Centre, where she reported feeling well and her wound was described as healed, with no concerns documented.
However, on 4 May, the mother-of-two was admitted to hospital with symptoms consistent with sepsis and died a few days later. Assistant coroner Katy Dickinson concluded that Mrs Maroroa Jones developed sepsis at the site of her Caesarean section, leading to thrombosis and brain infarction. She said she did not see any missed opportunities that could have prevented the death.
Mrs Maroroa Jones held the FIDE title of Woman International Master and represented New Zealand and England in Chess Olympiads. Her husband, English Grandmaster Gawain Jones, described her as intelligent and thoughtful, saying: 'She could've done anything really, but she always wanted to be a mum.' Since her death, Jessop Wing has updated discharge documentation to include signs for women to look out for post-birth, as previous information had focused on newborns rather than mothers.
