Tragedy struck again a family that had managed to survive the disaster. Isabel Xiomara Torrealba, 38, died in Caracas after delivering her twins by cesarean, Ángel and Darielis.
The woman had survived the collapse of her home during the June 24 earthquakes in Catia La Mar, La Guaira, while she was in the fifth month of pregnancy. According to information released by El Tubazo, a wall fell on her, but she managed to shield her womb and did not suffer serious physical injuries.
However, after the disaster, her health condition worsened.
She had survived the collapse while pregnant
Following the collapse of her home, Torrealba remained four weeks hospitalized. According to her husband, Ángel Infante, during that period her hypertension would have worsened as a result of the trauma she experienced and the state of panic she was going through.
The man also reported that his wife suffered a strong emotional impact upon witnessing situations of abandonment and the deaths of other pregnant women who were hospitalized in the same room.
According to his testimony, medical authorities would not have allowed him to accompany her during the hospital stay to help her endure the situation.
Isabel’s death after delivering her twins
The tragedy occurred weeks later, when Isabel, who was already six months pregnant, developed new complications and had to undergo a cesarean at the Domingo Luciani Hospital in Caracas.
According to Infante, around 2 a.m. he was told that the operation had been successful and that both his wife and the two babies were stable.
But just two hours later he received devastating news: Isabel had died from a profuse blood loss during the surgery, according to information provided by the medical staff.
The twins, Ángel and Darielis, survived the birth.
The husband’s allegations
Following his wife’s death, Infante publicly questioned the care received at the hospital and held the institution responsible for what happened.
The man said he received conflicting versions about Isabel’s health and denounced a supposed lack of transparency on the part of the medical center.
He also stated that he was not allowed to bid farewell to his wife before her body was cremated and that, as of last Tuesday, he had not yet been able to meet his two children in person.
The accusations form part of the widower’s testimony released by El Tubazo. No other information provided allows independent corroboration of his claims or to establish medical responsibilities.
Isabel’s death left her two newborn children in the care of their family, after a story that began with surviving one of the most dramatic moments of the earthquakes that struck La Guaira.
