Chelsea McGillivray, a first-time mother from South Lanarkshire, experienced an unexpected cardiac event during labour last Monday at Queen Elizabeth University Hospital in Glasgow. Her pregnancy had progressed normally with no complications detected during prenatal screening, and she showed no signs of underlying health conditions prior to the event. She was in good spirits even during early labour, but suffered the cardiac episode when being prepared to give birth. Medical teams immediately administered CPR, but were unable to resuscitate her.
Her son Tommy was delivered safely and spent time in the neonatal intensive care unit before being discharged home in good health two days after birth. Chelsea’s sister-in-law Lorna McGillivray told BBC Radio Scotland that the newborn has become the family’s source of strength during their grief, describing him as their “light” during this difficult period. The family is attempting to honour Chelsea’s memory and what she would have wanted for her son, despite the trauma of losing her during his birth.
According to data from MBRRACE-UK, the official body auditing maternal and infant deaths, 252 women in the UK died during pregnancy or in the weeks following childbirth from 2022 to 2024, equivalent to 12.8 deaths per 100,000 women giving birth. The overall maternal death rate during this period was reported as 20% higher than rates from 2009 to 2011.
Tommy’s father Jack is now raising his son alone while grieving. The family established a fundraiser to support him financially while taking time away from his self-employed work, which has raised more than £85,000. Jack plans to honour Chelsea’s memory by continuing with plans she had made, including a newborn photoshoot. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde expressed condolences to the family.
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