A FAMILY are demanding answers after a 16-year-old mother lost her baby as a result of complications during labour.

Macey-Lou Furridge, 16, who lives in Laindon, was rushed to Basildon Hospital when she experienced pains at her grandmother’s house.

Within hours, doctors had to perform an emergency C-section and her baby, Marni-Lee, had to be put on life-support.

He died 15 hours after being born at the hospital on December 22 last year.

Speaking on behalf of the family, her cousin Daisey Higgs, 20, said: “We trusted Basildon Hospital to take care of baby Marni-Lee and Macey.

“We were so excited to welcome a new baby boy to our family. Little did we know the best day of her life was going to turn into a nightmare.”

Macey-Lou had already been diagnosed with pre-eclampsia – a condition that pregnant women can develop which results in high blood pressure and can be fatal for both mother and baby if not treated correctly.

Daisey said: “They had said it was moderate but it was actually severe. She went straight to hospital at about 8am and they were in the waiting room for about five hours. She was crying in pain.”

Daisey said when she was finally taken in to be seen. The nurse noticed the baby’s heart rate was dropping and Macey’s waters broke.

“Just as they went to get a doctor, my cousin started screaming in pain so they hit the emergency button and rushed her to theatre.

“While she was getting stitched up, they came and told us the baby was not breathing and they were putting him on life support.

“They told us his brain wasn’t active and he needed life-saving treatment at a London hospital – a half hour drive away – but said he was too poorly to make it there.

“When my cousin came round, they told her that there was nothing they could do and they took him off life support.

“But he survived another 15 hours on his own so he could have made it to London. We were begging them to take him but he died in my aunty’s arms.”

Macey’s condition also deteriorated and she was taken to a London hospital for treatment where specialists discovered she had pneumonia and her kidneys were failing.

She has now been discharged but requires regular appointments to monitor her recovery and has been told her body may not cope with another pregnancy in the future.

A post-mortem into Marni-Lee’s death was inconclusive, leaving the family with no answers.

Daisey added: “As it is, it’s still a mystery and no one is helping us.

“Macey is distraught and just living day by day.

“No family should have to go through this. They left my cousin in a room with her dying son and let her deal with it.

“We will not give up until we have justice for baby Marni- Lee.”

The hospital has confirmed that they are investigating the circumstances surrounding Marni-Lee’s death.

A spokesman for Basildon Hospital said: “We are investigating this sad case and have met with the family of Marni-Lee to give them a full explanation of this process.

“When the report is complete, we will invite the family to meet with us again to discuss the findings.

“We would like to again express our condolences to Macey-Lou and her family for their sad loss.”