A young mother has spoken out after losing her fallopian tube, claiming repeated hospital visits were dismissed before a life-threatening condition was finally detected.
Mother's Ordeal at Townsville Hospital
Jessica Powell, 26, says she presented to Townsville University Hospital, Queensland, four times in September with concerns about her pregnancy, but said she was told without further investigation she was experiencing a miscarriage.
“I just started crying, like, hysterically, and I was like, they could have prevented this if they just listened, like, I was just beside myself,” Powell told 7NEWS.
It was not until her fifth presentation at the same hospital doctors identified an ectopic pregnancy. By that point, her fallopian tube had begun to rupture, causing internal bleeding that had spread to surrounding organs.
Emergency Surgery Required
By the time the condition was identified, emergency surgery was needed to remove her fallopian tube. Surgeons were forced to remove the tube, a devastating outcome for Powell, who has a history of miscarriages and endometriosis and believed this pregnancy may have been her only viable chance to have another child.
“There was no, like, oh, we’re so sorry that you came here four times beforehand, and we’re sorry we should have listened,” she said.
Hospital Response
In a statement, Townsville University Hospital said there was initially no clinical indication the pregnancy was ectopic, adding that the loss of a fallopian tube is a common outcome in such cases.
Powell, who has a three-year-old child, is now relying on family support as she processes the trauma.
Family's Heartache
Her family says they feel powerless watching her struggle. “We feel helpless that, you know, they’re not caring for her like they should be,” her sister Raquel Moon said. “She is the strongest person I know.”
Asked what she would say to hospital staff, Powell’s message was direct: “Take us seriously. Just listen, care. Don’t turn us away, because it’s too hard. That’s all I’d say.”
