When a new mom’s five-month-old baby became ill after midnight, she and her partner rushed him to the hospital. Later that day, hours after learning her son had died, she died in the same hospital. Most couples long to experience the joy of becoming parents for the first time. They want to hold a miniature version of themselves and are willing to go to great lengths to protect their children.
A parent’s worst nightmare is to see their child in pain. When their baby became ill, the couple in today’s story found themselves in the same situation. Their son was expected to recover quickly, but fate had other plans. Viktorija Mardosiene moved to North Staffordshire with her partner in 2020. Mardosiene had previously moved to England from her home country of Lithuania in 2016, leaving her 12-year-old daughter behind.
Mardosiene began a new life in Newcastle, where she welcomed her son, Kevin Dugutis, in early 2022. She was living a perfect life with her partner until her son became ill unexpectedly. At 12:42 a.m., sirens could be heard near Mardosiene’s house. Two ambulances approached her house on August 9th. She had called for assistance after Kevin’s health had suddenly deteriorated following his bedtime meal.
When first responders arrived at Mardosiene’s house, they reported Kevin was in “critical condition.” They gave him “advanced life support” both at his home and on the way to the Royal Stoke University Hospital. They weren’t prepared to deal with the grief of losing two family members within a few hours of each other. Meanwhile, Mardosiene and her partner prayed for the health of their child. They felt terrible seeing him in pain and awaited the doctors’ report on what had happened to Kevin.
Unfortunately, the doctors revealed something that Mardosiene and her partner did not want to hear. Kevin closed his eyes in the hospital room for the last time, more than two hours after his bedtime meal. Tatjana Abraitiene, Mardosiene’s sister, stated: “I kissed my nephew goodbye and told him, ‘I’m so sorry, I can’t change anything.’ It was horrible.”
Abraitiene revealed that her sister was devastated when she learned of Kevin’s death. Mardosiene expressed her desire to die while in mourning. She expressed her desire to accompany her son, unaware that her wish would be granted soon. Abraitiene also revealed that she and her sister had been anticipating Kevin’s birth for quite some time. She remembered taking Mardosiene from the hospital after Kevin’s birth. The little boy had only been alive for five months.
Mardosiene’s family refused to let her leave the hospital after Kevin died, fearing she would injure herself at home. Instead, they relied on the National Health Service to care for her until she could accept her child’s death. Abraitiene was discovered: “Two police officers later came to my house and told me she was dead; I was speechless.”
Mardosiene died at 5 p.m. on the same day her son died, inside Stoke-on-main Trent’s hospital. According to hospital staff, the distraught mother collapsed and died suddenly. The shock of Mardosiene’s sudden death hit her family as they were trying to accept Kevin’s unexpected death. They weren’t prepared to deal with the grief of losing two family members within a few hours of each other. According to Abraitiene:
“She [Mardosiene] was my everything, my other half; I will miss talking to her and going on walks with her.” Accepting her sister’s death was difficult for Abraitiene. Mardosiene was remembered as the girl who always had something to say to make others happy. During an interview, Abraitiene admitted: “It’s been a month since they died, and the hospital still hasn’t given me any answers; I just need to know what happened.”
While Abraitiene pressed the Royal Stoke University Hospital for answers, the hospital’s chief nurse advised the family to contact the Patient Advice and Liaison Team. The chief nurse did not make any public comments about Mardosiene’s case.