A mother has issued a heartfelt plea for better care following her daughter's suicide after enduring extreme pregnancy sickness that left her bedridden and feeling "unheard" by medical professionals.
Jess Cronshaw was just 26 years old and was 28 weeks pregnant when she died in November 2022.
Her daughter, Elsie, was delivered by emergency C-section but died four days later.
Jess had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - the same severe pregnancy sickness condition that affected the Princess of Wales during her pregnancies.
HG causes debilitating nausea and frequent vomiting during pregnancy, often leading to dehydration, rapid weight loss and malnutrition and can last the entire pregnancy.
Women with the condition frequently report feeling as if they are dying, while others experience excessive salivation and intense headaches.
In a tearful voice memo to a friend, Jess said: "Honestly it's, like, the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life. The constant nausea, there's no relief from it. I just spend my days in bed. It's just horrible."
In her first interview since the deaths, Susan Cronshaw told ITV News she never wants anyone else with the illness to feel so desperate.
"I wouldn't want anybody to feel how Jess did, she felt like no one was listening, and they weren't. It felt like you were just pushed from pillar to post. There was nobody taking it and being in charge of it," her mother said.
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The family described Jess as ambitious, active and independent, adding that she loved being a teacher and got up for a 5am walk most days - but, during her pregnancy, Jess could barely move from her bed or sofa, experiencing constant nausea and was unable to eat or drink without vomiting.
Jess saw GPs, midwives, nurses and consultants, but Susan says no one recognised how sick she was or provided a treatment plan.
She was prescribed anti-sickness medication that helped but was told by Royal Blackburn Hospital to stop taking them after they mistakenly informed her that the drugs would harm her baby.
By the time of her death, her symptoms had returned severely.
At the inquest into Jess and Elsie's deaths in January 2024, coroner Kate Bissett concluded that failings in Jess' care contributed to the deterioration in her mental health as the coroner highlighted a lack of mental health exploration at routine antenatal appointments.
She also noted the incorrect advice to wean off anti-sickness medication.
According to the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support, there is a systemic misunderstanding of HG within the NHS.
A survey by the charity found 58 per cent of women rated their GP care as "poor" during their first HG pregnancy while 48 per cent said the same about treatment from midwives.
Susan now wants UK-wide improvements in the management of the condition.
"The reason I need to do this is because Jess would've been a fighter and wanted more to be done for HG. She said once I've had a baby I'm going to really fight for people who have got this condition, and she would have done, I know she would."
Charlotte Howden, CEO of Pregnancy Sickness Support, said: "Not enough change has happened to prevent another woman from sadly and tragically making the decision to take their own life from this condition."
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised for failing Jess and Elsie and has since updated local guidance to reflect national recommendations.
All women receiving treatment for hyperemesis are now seen regularly in consultant-led antenatal clinics.
Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.
Find Out More...
Jess Cronshaw was just 26 years old and was 28 weeks pregnant when she died in November 2022.
Her daughter, Elsie, was delivered by emergency C-section but died four days later.
Jess had been diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) - the same severe pregnancy sickness condition that affected the Princess of Wales during her pregnancies.
HG causes debilitating nausea and frequent vomiting during pregnancy, often leading to dehydration, rapid weight loss and malnutrition and can last the entire pregnancy.
Women with the condition frequently report feeling as if they are dying, while others experience excessive salivation and intense headaches.
In a tearful voice memo to a friend, Jess said: "Honestly it's, like, the hardest thing I've ever gone through in my life. The constant nausea, there's no relief from it. I just spend my days in bed. It's just horrible."
In her first interview since the deaths, Susan Cronshaw told ITV News she never wants anyone else with the illness to feel so desperate.
"I wouldn't want anybody to feel how Jess did, she felt like no one was listening, and they weren't. It felt like you were just pushed from pillar to post. There was nobody taking it and being in charge of it," her mother said.
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The family described Jess as ambitious, active and independent, adding that she loved being a teacher and got up for a 5am walk most days - but, during her pregnancy, Jess could barely move from her bed or sofa, experiencing constant nausea and was unable to eat or drink without vomiting.
Jess saw GPs, midwives, nurses and consultants, but Susan says no one recognised how sick she was or provided a treatment plan.
She was prescribed anti-sickness medication that helped but was told by Royal Blackburn Hospital to stop taking them after they mistakenly informed her that the drugs would harm her baby.
By the time of her death, her symptoms had returned severely.
At the inquest into Jess and Elsie's deaths in January 2024, coroner Kate Bissett concluded that failings in Jess' care contributed to the deterioration in her mental health as the coroner highlighted a lack of mental health exploration at routine antenatal appointments.
She also noted the incorrect advice to wean off anti-sickness medication.
According to the charity Pregnancy Sickness Support, there is a systemic misunderstanding of HG within the NHS.
A survey by the charity found 58 per cent of women rated their GP care as "poor" during their first HG pregnancy while 48 per cent said the same about treatment from midwives.
Susan now wants UK-wide improvements in the management of the condition.
"The reason I need to do this is because Jess would've been a fighter and wanted more to be done for HG. She said once I've had a baby I'm going to really fight for people who have got this condition, and she would have done, I know she would."
Charlotte Howden, CEO of Pregnancy Sickness Support, said: "Not enough change has happened to prevent another woman from sadly and tragically making the decision to take their own life from this condition."
East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust has apologised for failing Jess and Elsie and has since updated local guidance to reflect national recommendations.
All women receiving treatment for hyperemesis are now seen regularly in consultant-led antenatal clinics.
Anyone who is in emotional distress, struggling to cope or at risk of suicide can call the Samaritans anonymously for free from a UK phone on 116 123 or go to samaritans.org.
Find Out More...