A grieving grandmother has been left to raise her daughter's 12 children after she tragically passed away from complications of a C-section.
On December 22, Nikita Washington from Detroit went to Harper University Hospital without her husband - who is incarcerated - to give birth to her 12th child.
The 35-year-old had a Cesarean section and gave birth to a healthy baby boy named Nathaniel but tragically lost her life after. Her family was informed the next day that she died of difficulties with the surgery.
Nikita's mother, Patricia Pouncey, is now looking after Nathaniel and her 11 other grandchildren following the sudden death of her daughter.
Patricia regrets not accompanying her daughter to the hospital and has said the pain of her loss has been intensified by the confusion around what led to her sudden death.
"I just have a lot of questions right now," the grandmother told CNN. "I ask myself all the time, 'What went wrong?"
Patricia also disclosed that she has not obtained anything from the hospital except for a death certificate.
A death certificate from the Wayne County Clerk acquired by the publication states that the mother-of-12 passed away from a "postpartum hemorrhage" and "complications from multiple Cesarean sections".
In addition to this, the grieving grandma shared in an interview with Fox 2 Detroit that the family is still awaiting results from an autopsy.
"If she died naturally, I want to know. If one of them doctors did something, I wanna know that too," Pouncey said. "I'm hurt, I'm confused."
However, a spokesman for Detroit Medical Center - which operates Harper University Hospital - released a statement to the outlet that specifically declares that it could not comment on Nikita's death.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family for the loss of their loved one," the statement read. "We cannot discuss specifics regarding the treatment of any individual due to patient privacy laws."
As a result of Nikita's death, Patricia is heartbreakingly left to raise all 12 of her daughter's children - who range in age from three months to 19 years old.
As the family struggles to make sense of their loss, the grandmother told Fox 2 Detroit that she is working to make sure that they move forward and stay together during this unfortunate time.
"I already thought about it, and I’m gonna fight to keep them together and keep them with me," she said about wanting the children to grow up under one roof.
"I'm just stuck right now, " she added. "I have all 12 of her kids right now with me, so I got to get a bigger house because my house is too small."
She told CNN that she is grateful for the donations that helped the family buy a bigger home and a dependable vehicle. Patricia also wants her beloved daughter to be remembered as a kind person who loved music, doing hair, and being with family.
Our thoughts are with Nikita's family and friends at this time.
