Wednesday, July 17, 2019
Tuesday, July 17, 2018
32-Year-Old Mom Dies from Sepsis Just Days After Giving Birth to Third Child
A 32-year-old mother from Connecticut has died just days after giving birth to her third child, and now thousands of donors are sending funds to help her grieving family in their time of need.
On July 2 — just eight days after she gave birth to her son, Nolan, according to 14 News — Lindsay Crosby was transported to Hartford Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with Strep A, a bacterium often found in the throat and on the skin. The bacteria, the Centers for Disease Control reports, can cause a range of minor and serious infections, including strep throat, scarlet fever and rheumatic fever.
By the time the mother of three was taken to the hospital, the bacteria had caused her to experience sepsis, the immune system’s deadly response to an infection that causes difficulty in breathing, low or no urine output and changes in mental status. When sepsis worsens, it can lead to septic shock, extremely low blood pressure and, eventually, organ failure or death.
Two days after being hospitalized, Crosby died from complications from the infection, according to a GoFundMe set up for the family. She was surrounded by her husband, Evan Crosby, and her daughters Finlay, 5, and Sigrid, 3, and Nolan, her newborn son.
In the days since her passing, two separate donation pages have been set up to help the Crosby family, which have both raised a combined $375,000 in 12 days.
According to the advocacy organization Sepsis Alliance, sepsis can be caused by an infection anywhere in the body, such as urinary tract infection or influenza. The condition kills and disables millions of people every year, and those who survive it are often left with post-traumatic stress disorder, chronic pain and organ dysfunction.
For women who are pregnant, sepsis can occur from a number of complications, such as miscarriages, cesarean section, ruptured membranes and prolonged or obstructed labor. According to the CDC, sepsis caused almost 13 percent of pregnancy-related deaths in the U.S. between 2011 and 2013.
While Sepsis Alliance says that any woman who is pregnant or has previously experienced a miscarriage or abortion can develop maternal or postpartum sepsis, women who have a history of congestive heart failure, liver disease or lupus are at higher risk than others.
Lindsay was a standout athlete at Springfield College in Massachusetts, playing on the women’s lacrosse team, for which she scored 34 goals in 60 games during their championship season in 2006. She was also an active member of her community, having served as a girls lacrosse coach and associate director of admissions at a local boarding school, reports 14 News.
In a statement to the news station, the family thanked well-wishers for their generosity, and said the funds generated from the donation pages would go a long way in helping them pay for the unexpected expenses following Lindsay’s death.
“We extend our heartfelt thanks to all of those who have reached out to our family since the passing of Lindsay on July 4,” the family told 14 News. “It has meant so very much to us. The kind messages have been most comforting, and the generous unexpected financial gifts will be very helpful in coping with unforeseen expenses for Lindsay’s husband, Evan, and their three young children following her sudden passing.”