A MUM who almost died from a rare pregnancy complication is determined to thank the maternity staff who helped save her life.

Deborah and Russell Chadwick were overjoyed when, after a long battle with infertility, they managed to conceive their second boy, which they had already decided to call Charlie.

From the beginning Mrs Chadwick, aged 32, had a fraught pregnancy with many complications and, at her 20 week scan, doctors discovered she had placenta percreta — a rare condition where the placenta penetrates through uterine wall and looks for another organ, usually the bladder, to attach itself to.

Percreta is so rare, many consultants will never come across the condition in their careers.

Mrs Chadwick was told she would need an MRI scan further into her pregnancy and was sent home with her husband.

Yet her condition took a turn for the worse two weeks later in May, when she woke in the middle of the night in agony.

The mum-of-one said: “It was terrifying when it all started.

“I woke up with really strong stomach pain and started being violently sick. My husband called an ambulance and, from then on, I was drifting in and out of consciousness.”

After being rushed to the high dependency unit at the Royal Bolton Hospital, Mr Chadwick was told his wife was suffering with severe internal bleeding and would need surgery.

When Mrs Chadwick regained consciousness, she was adamant she did not want surgery for fear of losing her baby.

She said: “I was in complete denial about what was happening. I just couldn’t think it was internal bleeding that was happening. When we had the ultrasound, we could see Charlie sucking his little thumb and he seemed fine.

“It was agreed to keep me under observation and operate if things deteriorated any further. I was hopeful my little fighter would prove everyone wrong and was desperately trying to manage the increasing pain I was in.

“But by the next day things were deteriorating further. I felt Charlie kicking for the very last time around 3.50pm — about 10 minutes before things took a dramatic turn.

“I was on the phone to my mum when I was overcome with a huge wave of pain. It was horrendous. That’s when the midwife rang the emergency buzzer and I was rushed down to theatre.”

Surgeons found four litres of blood in Mrs Chadwick’s abdomen, leaving only 1.5 litres for the rest of her body.

Her uterus had ruptured and disintegrated due to placenta percreta, which had also invaded her bladder.

The medical team fought hard for four hours and carried out a life-saving hysterectomy. She sadly lost Charlie in the ordeal.

Mrs Chadwick added: “I woke up in intensive care to find that they had saved my life but that Charlie hadn’t made it. I was told I was lucky to be alive because of the blood I had lost.”

The couple and their four-year-old son, Harry, are still recovering from the loss of their baby in May, but are determined to give something back to the maternity unit.

Thanks to her colleagues in the customer service unit at Bolton Council, as well as friends and family, the couple have raised almost £3,000 for the Royal Bolton maternity unit.

Mrs Chadwick said: “One of the hardest things was telling Harry he will not have a little brother.

“But they did manage to save some of my ovaries so we are considering finding a surrogate in the future.

“For now, we are recovering from what has happened and I just want to thank the amazing team at the Royal Bolton.

“Words cannot express how grateful we are to them. We hope by giving something back we can help other parents who may find themselves in our position.”

  • As part of the fundraising campaign, Mrs Chadwick’s former colleague, Gemma Mitchell, will make on a 160ft bungy jump in Salford Quays on Sunday. To donate, go to the Charlie’s Angels fundraising page.