We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

Louise Crawshaw-Bowen, 37, was given a “fit to fly” note from her midwife before jetting off to Antalya, Turkey, for her idyllic holiday with 27-year-old husband Ste, who is a sniper in the British Army’s York Regiment, days after their wedding. But the self-employed nail technician started bleeding during the third night of the break and was rushed to hospital at around 33 weeks pregnant. She gave birth via emergency caesarean to son Wolfe, who weighed just 4lb 4oz, on Monday, July 25.

Baby Wolfe has been on a ventilator in hospital since birth and doctors fear he has a severe lung infection. Speaking from Turkey, Louise said: “Wolfe is in intensive care so we can literally go to the hospital and see him for 30 seconds a day. We can’t touch him or anything.

“It has been a rollercoaster of emotions, from the joy of getting married to the sheer anxiety for Wolfe.

“His lungs are underdeveloped because he was premature and he can’t breathe alone so he is in a ventilator and attached to tubes.

“The doctors speak with broken English so communication is difficult but they suspect he has got an infection of some kind on his lungs.”

Louise, who had previously experienced no problems during her pregnancy, secured insurance for her break with InsureFor, part of ROCK Insurance Group.

However, she claims the company refused to pay anything because Louise gave birth seven weeks early, not eight weeks or earlier in line with her policy.

Even giving birth seven weeks and five days, as I did, is still premature. So why cut it (the policy) off at eight weeks?

Louise Crawshaw-Bowen

Louise, whose four other children joined her and Ste on their honeymoon, said: “I gave birth seven and a half weeks early so, if I gave birth two days earlier, I would have been covered.

“Even giving birth seven weeks and five days, as I did, is still premature. So why cut it off at eight weeks?

“It’s crazy. I had a good pregnancy with no side effects. The honeymoon was going well, it was perfectly good but I suddenly fell [ill] on the third day. I just thought it was the heat really but then I woke at 3am bleeding.”

Louise and Ste have had to find €4,500 [approx. £3,800] so Louise could leave hospital after two days.

The couple, who wed on July 19, claim staff at the hospital were “hounding” Ste for money as soon as they arrived at the doors on Monday.

Louise, who is from Trowbridge, Wiltshire, continued: “They were hounding us for money from the start as soon as we got there.

“I was 6cm on arrival and that quickly became 10cm so they had to act quickly. Unfortunately the baby was breech and I had to have the C-section.

“I recovered fine and could have been released on Tuesday but they wouldn’t let me go until we found €4,500. We got that by Wednesday so I was finally let out but Wolfe is still there in a pretty bad way.

“It is a very difficult situation. We’ve had to find €2,000 for another week in the hotel and, because it is the peak of the summer, prices are expensive. They say Wolfe will need to spend at least three more weeks in hospital, all being well.

“We’ve had to fly a family friend out here to collect my three older children, they’re 14, 11 and five, back home with her. Ste and I still have our 11-month-old with us here so it’s affected the family too.

“It’s been very emotional and upsetting. We only got married about three weeks ago and now we’re going through this.

“I’m self-employed too so I’ve had to miss more work which was booked in before my maternity leave. Ste is in the Army so has had to ask for more time off.”

Source: Read Full Article