Woodhull Hospital, a member of the NYC Health + Hospitals system, has been hit with a $41 million lawsuit after one of its patients died following an emergency Cesarean section.

The family of the victim says that the hospital not only ignored her original birthing plan but also ignored their advocating on the young mother’s behalf.

Christine Fields, the mother of three, died after childbirth on Nov. 13. She was admitted to the Brooklyn hospital the day before and sought the assistance of her doula, who was unavailable at the time.

She also provided her comprehensive birth plan to the attending medical professionals, but the plan was not adhered to, according to the family.

Then, after a period of waiting, the 30-year-old went into crisis, leading doctors to perform an emergency C-section delivery. Her fiancé, Jose Perez, said she was against having the procedure. Despite some monitoring of her condition, Fields encountered post-surgical trauma. Relatives said Fields tried to tell the doctors she felt like something was wrong, but they allegedly ignored her.

She would have a heart attack the day after the surgery. Fields would succumb to the stress induced by the cardiac arrest. Perez and the victim’s mother said they were with her one moment, stepped out of the room, and on their return, found her dead.

“Her baby’s heart rate drops, and there’s fetal distress,” said attorney Ira Newman, the family’s lawyer. “She’s rushed in for a C-section, and we are investigating and have learned from the [medical examiner’s] office that there was pooling blood.”

Denene Witherspoon, Field’s mother, also hired attorney Sanford Rubenstein’s office to help her and her daughter’s fiancé and children file a medical malpractice suit. She said the family has irrefutably been changed.

“I don’t have that in my life anymore,” the bereaved mother said to PIX 11. “Now, I have to help raise three kids that don’t have a mother. I miss my daughter so much, and I need to know what happened to my daughter.”

She also said her daughter “was healthy” before going into the hospital that day.

“My daughter did everything right,” she said.

Woodhull released a statement regarding Fields’ case: “The health and safety of our patients is our highest priority, and we express our sincere condolences to those affected by this tragic loss.”

“NYC Health + Hospitals has a steadfast commitment to providing quality, dignified, culturally responsive care to all New Yorkers without exception,” a representative said, according to NY1.

This is the second death in three years at the hospital involving a Black woman and involving an emergency C-section. Sha-Asia Washington made headlines in 2020 after she died under similar circumstances.

While the hospital released a statement to the press, Witherspoon said that no one has reached out to the family.

“We have not heard anything from the hospital, not an apology, not a sorry, not anything. No phone calls, nothing,” the mother said.

Fields leaves behind three children, including her newborn son. All three children are now with Perez.