In a heartbreaking incident in Greater Manchester, England, Rebecca Moss woke up on the day she was due to give birth by cesarean section to find her partner, Thomas Gibson, dead. The tragic discovery occurred early in the morning of June 7, 2023, when Moss, attempting to wake him for the all-important day, found him unconscious. Gibson, 40, had suffered cardiac arrest while sleeping on the couch.
This devastating event unfolded when Moss told Gibson, “Wake up, it’s baby day,” around 5:15 a.m., only to realize the seriousness of the situation. The case was later brought before Stockport Coroner’s Court where details of the earlier medical setbacks came to light. Reports of The independent It highlighted that Gibson had previously sought medical attention at Wythenshawe Hospital’s Accident and Emergency department on May 27 due to a severe stomach bug that had persisted for approximately three weeks.
An investigation found that a critical misinterpretation of an electrocardiogram (ECG) by hospital staff failed to identify complete heart block, a condition that could lead to sudden cardiac death. Although a junior doctor noted possible abnormalities on the scan and referred her to Dr. Thomas Bull, a more senior doctor, the latter deemed the findings not clinically significant without further symptoms of heart problems. This oversight proved fatal for Gibson, he said. News from heaven.
On the day of his death, emergency operators ordered a distraught Moss to perform chest compressions until the ambulance arrived. “The shock, trauma and not to mention the physical strain of having to get Tom off the couch and perform chest compressions at 39 weeks pregnant was overwhelming,” Moss told the court, according to the court. bbc.
In her emotional testimony, Moss remembered Gibson as “loving, charming and fun,” and noted that he had been actively preparing for his baby’s arrival by building furniture every weekend. Her daughter, Harper, born hours after the tragedy, will celebrate her first birthday under the shadow of her father’s absence. “He won’t be there for any of her birthday parties,” Moss lamented. “Harper, on the other hand, will visit her father’s grave when she is old enough to understand.”
The investigation revealed that the hospital admitted providing negligent medical care to Gibson, and Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust fully admitted liability. This recognition, however, does little to ease the pain of a family torn apart by an avoidable medical error, just as they were about to welcome a new life.
