An Erskine couple who suffered a tragic loss have helped launch a campaign for better maternity care in Scotland . Stuart and Ami Geddes, whose son Clark had to be delivered at just 24 weeks after mum became life-threateningly ill with pre-eclampsia. Sadly, Clark passed away at only 12 days old.
Following on from this tragedy, the Geddes became involved in fundraising for UK charity Action on Pre-eclampsia (APEC), with Stuart recently completing his fourth consecutive London Marathon in support of the cause. Now the couple and APEC are together launching Clark’s Campaign, an initiative to demand access to pre-eclampsia testing in Scotland for every pregnant woman who needs it. Pre-eclampsia is a potentially devastating pregnancy complication that can prove fatal for mothers and babies if not identified early and carefully managed.
It remains one of the two main causes of maternal death worldwide . In Scotland, an estimated 5,260 pregnant people present with suspected pre-eclampsia every year. Clark’s Campaign is calling for the uptake of PlGF-based testing, a simple and cost-effective blood test that can identify and prevent problems at an early stage .
Despite recommendations, PIGF-based testing is not yet available in Scotland - unlike in England, where it has been used in the NHS since 2016. Stuart, Clark’s dad, is also APEC’s spokesperson for Scotland. He said: “I’m so proud to launch Clark’s Campaign to demand better pre-eclampsia care in Scotland.
“I can.