Detroit Woman Is Twice a Grandma at 35, Dies Right after Giving Birth to Her 12th Child

• Nikita Washington tragically passed away only one day after welcoming her 12th child.
• Her mother, Patricia Pouncey, is grieving her daughter and has also taken the responsibility of raising her 12 children.
• Pouncey is in unbearable pain, which has been made worse by the uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of Washington’s untimely death.

Nikita Washington was a mother from Detroit who passed away untimely at Harper University Hospital a day after she gave birth to her 12th child. The child, a boy named Nathaniel, was born via Cesarean section.

Washington’s mother, Patricia Pouncey, is devastated by her daughter’s loss and feels defeated each time she thinks of the sudden death that occurred in December 2022.

Pouncey has also been left with the huge responsibility of taking care of Washington’s 12 children, who are between the ages of 3 months and 19 years.

This responsibility, coupled with the pain of losing her daughter, has been made worse by the fact that she is confused about what led to the death of Washington. “I just have a lot of questions right now. I ask myself all the time, what went wrong?” she shared.

Pouncey now regrets not accompanying her daughter to the hospital when she went to give birth. She was forced to stay home to take care of Washington’s other kids, and the father of her daughter’s baby was incarcerated.

On the day Washington gave birth, she went to the hospital alone and was treated for high blood pressure. She informed her family of this news before she went in for a Cesarean section on the night of December 22.

The next day, Washington’s family was informed that she had given birth to a healthy baby boy. They were also told that the mother of 12 passed away while doctors were treating her for a loose stitch and excessive bleeding.

The Wayne County Clerk issued a death certificate indicating Washington died from complications due to multiple cesarean sections and postpartum hemorrhage.

Pouncey was not satisfied with the details of the death certificate. She wondered if the doctors did all they could to save her daughter’s life. She also noted that no one at the hospital had spoken to her or given anything to the family.

A representative of Detroit Medical Center, which runs Harper University Hospital, released a press statement that said:

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family for the loss of their loved one. We cannot discuss specifics regarding the treatment of any individual due to patient privacy laws.”

Washington’s mother revealed her daughter’s children were devastated by the loss of their mother. She added that all they wanted were answers about the cause of Washington’s death:

“If she died naturally, I wanna know. If one of the doctors did something, I want to know that too.”

Pouncey, who’s still waiting for the results of an autopsy, has yet to come to terms with the loss of her daughter. She said Washington was healthy and did not have any medical issues. She urged family members of pregnant and birthing women to ask questions and always demand explanations.

Despite the help Pouncey and her family have received from people, other individuals have asked about the fathers of Washington’s children.

Washington’s mother added that doctors and nurses have to explain to family members medical terminology:

“I’m worried about every mother. Don’t ever, ever make the mistake that I made, letting your child go alone (to a hospital). We need to give more attention to what’s going on.”

Washington, who was born in 1987, attended Denby High School before dropping out in the 11th grade after getting pregnant with her first child, a son, who is now 19 years old.

She gave birth to her first child at 16 years old. By the age of 20, she had given birth to 3 more children. She also gave birth to 3 children since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Her children are now aged 19, 17, 15, 14, 13, 11, 10, 8, 5, 2, 1, and three months. One of Pouncey’s daughters is also a grandmother of two.

Washington’s siblings describe her as “a fun big sister who would host parties at her house and allow her younger sisters to do anything they wanted.” The siblings said they had a lot of fun hanging out with their sister.

Washington’s mother is hurt and confused by her daughter’s death. However, she is determined to raise her grandkids. “I already thought about it, and I will fight to keep them together and keep them with me,” she revealed.

Pouncey added that she would need help to get a bigger house that would fit her and her 12 grandkids, as her current home is too small to host them.

The family will require a new vehicle, too, as their vehicle had been involved in an accident and can no longer be driven.

The family’s needs forced them to set up a GoFundMe account to help with burial expenses as well as for the sustenance of the kids. “Whatever God says to your heart to do, because we appreciate everything,” Pouncey declared.

The GoFundMe aimed for a target of $75,000, but it has surpassed this goal, with people contributing $133,072 as of this writing. Pouncey is thankful for the contribution, which has already helped them to buy a car and a bigger home.

Despite the help Pouncey and her family have received from people, other individuals have asked about the fathers of Washington’s children and why Pouncey has been left with all the responsibility of caring for them.

One person said he was sick of paying for children that weren’t his, while another individual said the fathers should be made to pay. “The newborn baby already looks so sad. Literally came out the womb with trauma,” another individual commented. Meanwhile, one user blamed Washington for having many kids:

“It’s not just irresponsible but selfish to continue to have children knowing you can’t afford to care for them properly. Now they are left with nothing, and those children are doomed before they ever have a shot to do better for themselves. An old lady shouldn’t have to unretire because their children couldn’t handle their affairs.”

Despite the negative comments directed towards Washington, Pouncey just wants her grandchildren to remember their mother as the loving woman she was. She said her daughter was a sweet, giving person who loved her family, and enjoyed doing her hair and listening to music.

If you liked this story, click here to read about a woman who gave birth to triplets but found out their father abandoned her upon hearing the news.