Newborn daughter of surgeon who died in labor dies
JACKSON, Miss. — The newborn daughter of a beloved Mississippi surgeon died Wednesday, one week after her mother died during childbirth.
Dr. Nikki Shoemake-Patterson, 40, died June 1 at OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville, Miss. An official cause of death wasn't released at the time Shoemake-Patterson died, but Beth Crisler Cook, a woman who identified herself as the doctor's friend, said in a Facebook post that Shoemake-Patterson died of a pulmonary embolism while in "natural labor."
Shortly after Shoemake-Patterson's death, her daughter Aubrey Caroline Patterson was taken to Batson Children's Hospital in Jackson, Miss.
Aubrey's name appeared in Patterson's online obituary later Wednesday night.
"Aubrey Caroline was surrounded by family as she peacefully passed into her mother’s arms in heaven on Wednesday, June 8, 2016," part of the notice read.
The tragic story made national headlines and sparked an outpouring of support and prayers for the family.
Mississippi has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the nation, more than double the national average. Mississippi State Department of Health statistics show almost 40 maternal deaths per every 100,000 births in the state.
Contributing: Sarah Fowler, The (Jackson, Miss.) Clarion-Ledger. Follow Dustin Barnes on Twitter: @DustinCL