Young mum who collapsed after giving birth still in hospital

Date: 23 May 2024 By: Andries van Zyl

Stacy Tucker (27), a young mother from Louis Trichardt, who collapsed in her shower at home shortly after giving birth to her and her husband Philip's first child, is still in hospital.

Stacy (Annastasia) gave birth to baby Peyton on 6 May by emergency Caesarean section at the Louis Trichardt Maternity Hospital. The birth costs were covered by a hospital plan, which does not include additional hospital treatment.

Within an hour of being discharged from the maternity hospital, she had a seizure in the shower at home and collapsed. Philip rushed her back to the hospital, and she was then transferred by ambulance to the MediClinic in Polokwane.

Stacy experienced further seizures in both the ambulance and the casualty ward, while Philip desperately tried to raise the funds needed for her admission to the hospital. He managed to borrow the R66,000 required for admission from friends and got Stacy admitted for an estimated six days. After further tests, Stacy’s seizures were found to be from blood clots in her brain.

Stacy’s father-in-law, Malcolm Tucker, said on Tuesday that Stacy was making progress in recovering from the brain clots. “She is able to use her right arm and move her right leg, though not yet able to stand on it. Her speech remains slow but is understandable, and she is cheerful,” said Malcolm.

According to Malcolm, Stacy was due to be discharged from hospital on Monday, but because of a hospital virus she contracted, she now requires intravenous antiviral treatment until Friday.

“Our family would like to thank all the many friends, community members, and strangers who have generously responded to the appeals for financial assistance, and those who helped raise the funds by publicising her plight. Without this assistance, the two weeks of treatment in hospital would not have been possible,” said Malcolm.

Malcolm added, however, that a long period of further drug treatments and physiotherapy would still be needed, as well as another expensive CT scan to check the size and any movement of the clots. “So, further financial assistance will be necessary and very gratefully received,” said Malcolm.

To assist the young family with the additional medical costs not covered by the hospital plan, a fundraising page has been set up at BackaBuddy, which can be visited at https://www.backabuddy.co.za/campaign/help-stacy for those who would like to donate and help fund Stacy’s treatment. For more information regarding this, Malcolm can be contacted at Tel 084 262 1386.

In the meantime, Stacy and Philip’s baby, Peyton, is thriving, gaining weight, and in a good, restful routine.

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Andries van Zyl

Andries joined the Zoutpansberger and Limpopo Mirror in April 1993 as a darkroom assistant. Within a couple of months he moved over to the production side of the newspaper and eventually doubled as a reporter. In 1995 he left the newspaper group and travelled overseas for a couple of months. In 1996, Andries rejoined the Zoutpansberger as a reporter. In August 2002, he was appointed as News Editor of the Zoutpansberger, a position he holds until today.

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