Eva Johnson is there for her twin sister, Piper, whom medical experts failed at birth

When Piper Johnson’s legs don’t do what she wants, the five-year-old scolds them. “Silly body,” she says.

Her twin sister, Eva, is always there to help. But for the first time, on the eve of starting school, Piper begins to realize that they are not the same.

“I can’t do everything Eva can do Mom,” she told her mom Helen this week.

In October 2015, Johnson gave birth to her twin daughters at Hutt Hospital. While Eva’s birth was straightforward, Piper suffered brain damage caused by lack of oxygen and now lives with cerebral palsy.

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* Errors made by hospital staff meant that baby Piper was unable to breathe for 35 minutes.

Five years later, the Hutt Valley District Board of Health apologized to Johnson after a report by the Commissioner of Health and Disability found that a series of staffing failures contributed to Piper’s injury.

But Johnson still wants answers from a hospital where several babies have suffered preventable brain damage since the birth of his daughter.

“I am heartbroken, because this shouldn’t be happening. I cannot understand how they cannot see what they are doing: there are babies dying, babies injured, women injured giving birth, ”she says.

“What about these investigations? It feels like they have fallen into a black hole. They need more staff, they need to upgrade the facilities, they need to provide care for women and their children. It’s not that difficult, is it? Everyone else seems to be able to do it. “

Stuff met Johnson in 2018, when an ACC investigation found that the hospital’s actions contributed to Piper’s brain hemorrhage at birth.

The HDC report concluded that the hospital did not have the proper staff or equipment for a twin delivery, failed to insert Piper’s breathing tube correctly, and did not verify that the oxygen machine was turned on.

He also criticized the DHB for not telling Helen and her husband Chris about the extent of Piper’s injuries and their cause until five months later.

A radiologist was also found to be in violation of the health and disability rights code for failing to detect an abnormality on a scan that could have prevented the premature arrival of the twin.

It is the fifth HDC report in the past two years that has identified systemic failures in the maternity service at Hutt Hospital. These have contributed to the death of one baby and the brain damage of three, including Piper.

The other case was for abuse that left a mother with gynecological injuries for life.

Hutt DHB’s Director of Provider Services Joy Farley said changes had been made as a result of the Piper case and a subsequent external review in 2018 at the Women’s Health Service, triggered by adverse events and a large number of complaints.

These included strengthening the workforce and leadership, including the appointment of a 24-hour midwifery manager, a policy review, mandatory training in fetal surveillance, an audit of oxygen-deprived babies, and a resource and equipment update. , including fetal heart rate monitors.

The DHB was funded by just over 27 full-time midwives and about 22 of those positions were filled at this time.

Deputy Commissioner for Health and Disability Rose Wall confirmed that she is investigating two more cases, related to care in 2017 and 2018. She said HDC was satisfied with the changes made as a result of its recommendations and was maintaining a “report of close observation “to identify any ongoing problems.

But the president of the Hutt Maternity Action Trust, Meg Waghorn, questioned the time it took for families to obtain a resolution and called for clearer communication of the specific actions taken. “It’s really difficult to keep track of changes and there needs to be more transparency about progress. There is still a level of caution and concern in the community. “

Her group had been formed to hold DHB accountable and give families a voice following concerns raised at a community meeting last year.

Two halves in one whole

While Piper is a happy and bubbly girl, she also struggles with chronic fatigue, developmental delays, and speech and movement difficulties. When school starts next year, it will be with a paraprofessional.

“She is full of beans, she is very sociable, she loves people because she is so used to talking to therapists about herself. The girls are two halves of a whole, they really love each other and bounce off each other, ”says Johnson.

“But Piper doesn’t have the same balance as the other children, she gets tired, and when she’s fatigued, her movements are affected and she doesn’t sleep or eat well. It’s a vicious and vicious cycle. “

Receiving ACC’s ongoing support is also a struggle: a teacher aide is only funded for four hours a day and half the cost of a wheelchair accessible vehicle.

When Piper gets frustrated, Johnson assures her that we are all different. “I just remind you that everyone needs help and has challenges.

“If you really think about what happened, it’s heartbreaking, but you have to get up and deal with life, and make the most of what it can do.

“The injury he had is huge, he shouldn’t walk, he shouldn’t be talking but he is, so we’re very lucky. We just do what any parent would do and we give everything to our child. “

College of Midwives Executive Director Alison Eddy said she felt Hutt Hospital had taken the investigations seriously. “Like many of our hospitals, they are experiencing a labor shortage, and that is related to larger systemic problems of lack of resources.”

Hutt Hospital received a $ 9.4 million government push to redesign the maternity unit in January.