Matt Whittaker told his fiancée that “life couldn’t get any better” minutes before she underwent a Caesarean section to give birth to their twin sons.
Now the 36-year-old is planning her funeral.
Earlier this month, first-time mother Rachael Galloway, 36, died after suffering complications related to a Caesarean section just 30 minutes after giving birth to her sons Noah and Abel.
Mrs Galloway, who lived in Carnforth, Lancashire, was scheduled to have a Caesarean section at the Royal Lancaster Infirmary but died despite doctors’ efforts.
A devastated Mr Whittaker recalled:She died bringing beauty to the world, bringing children into the world.
Rachael Galloway, 36, died after suffering complications related to a Caesarean section 30 minutes after giving birth to her sons Noah and Abel Galloway-Whittaker on August 1.
Ms Galloway, a business owner, was excitedly planning her wedding to Matt Whittaker and the couple became engaged just a week before her death.
“She was the best thing that ever happened to me,” Whittaker said.
‘On the Friday we got engaged, we had lunch and I remember sitting there and saying to Rachael, “Can you believe this is our life? Life really couldn’t be better.”
Recalling the day of the operation, Whittaker said: “Rach was a star. Although she was nervous, she was very strong and kept a brave attitude throughout, right up until the children were born.
‘Then there were tears of joy seeing them, knowing they were healthy, and watching me feed Noah his first meal.
“She was so happy, so proud, so full of love. She had the world in her eyes when she looked at our children.
“It’s a shame that was the last time he saw them, but I hope he’s still looking after them.
‘It wasn’t just her who died at that table that day, a part of me did too and I’ll never get it back.
“But I’m not going to let the legacy and dreams she had for our children die, too. We’ve had to say goodbye to too much.”
He described Ms Galloway as “the finest person I have ever met”, praising her intelligence, her sense of humour, her caring nature and her beauty, both inside and out.
“She saw and brought out the best in people and I am living proof that she could see what no one else could,” she said.
“I have to make her proud and make sure our sons grow up to be the gentlemen she would have been proud of.”
Family friend Emma Jones helped create a GoFundMe Page to raise funds for Mr Whittaker and the children, which currently stands at almost £20,000.
The 35-year-old lettings manager described the loss of Ms Galloway as devastating and said the family are “absolutely heartbroken” by it.
“She was so excited to be a mother. Plus, she got engaged the day after her birthday, so she was finally going to have her happy ending,” she said.
A devastated Mr Whittaker recalled: “She died bringing beauty into the world, bringing children into the world.”
‘Before I left for vacation I gave her a hug and said: “next time I see you, you will be the mother of two beautiful children.”
“She was the best friend I ever had, I can’t believe we lost her.”
Sue Stansfield, acting director of midwifery at University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust, of which the Royal Lancaster Infirmary is part, said: ‘Losing a loved one is tragic and our sincere condolences go out to all the family and friends affected by this sad loss.
“As we are in the process of conducting an internal review and there is an ongoing forensic investigation, we are unable to comment further at this stage other than to say that we will continue to support the family and colleagues involved.”
Caesarean sections are considered a very safe procedure but, like any medical procedure, they carry a number of risks.
One of the most common is infection, more rarely excessive bleeding and even more rarely dangerous blood clots and damage to internal organs.
According to the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, caesarean sections have a maternal mortality rate of one in every 4,200 women.
This compares with one death per 25,000 women from vaginal birth.
Caesarean sections, like Ms Galloway’s, may be planned if the mother or baby have medical conditions that make this option safer or if there are multiple babies in the womb.
According to NHS data, planned caesarean sections account for around 16 per cent of births.
Unplanned cesarean sections may also sometimes be performed in what are called “emergency” cesarean sections if complications arise during a vaginal birth. These complications account for about 17 percent of births.
Caesareans that have been refused or performed too late have been the focus of several NHS maternity scandals in recent years.