Mom dies after giving birth to twins

"I got a call from the doctor at the hospital and she said that it seems like Kordell has less than an hour and I should come right now."

It was a phone call that Marvin Murphy was not expecting. His wife, Kordell Clarke-Murphy, had given birth to twins a week earlier, but had to be placed in the Intensive Care Unity of the University Hospital of the West Indies (UHWI) due to complications with her delivery.

Marvin -- torn between the excitement of knowing their children are here, and knowing that his wife of five months was seriously ill -- was optimistic that she would make it out of the hospital so they could raise the children together.

However, his wife and mother of his children passed on Saturday, six days after giving birth. She did not get to meet her twins.

"I cry when I wake up and she's not here with us. I look at them and see the reason to carry on. The reason to be strong. Her presence was always so strong, so her absence is overwhelming," Marvin told THE STAR.

Kordell was a member of the Tivoli Gardens Youth Club and was introduced to Marvin through his sister. They met in 2013. After years of friendship, the two decided to take their admiration and love to another level by starting a relationship on October 17, 2020. They got married on July 10.

"She found out she was pregnant in late March and for the first three months, she didn't have morning sickness because she had a schedule in eating. So she didn't eat during the early parts of the day and after a time, she only suffered from acid reflux. She worked around that part so it wasn't a rough pregnancy," Marvin said.

It was not all smooth sailing, however, as Kordell was placed on bed rest in August. Although Kordell was given a November 29 due date, their doctor briefed them of the possibility of an early delivery date.

About 12 a.m. on October 31, as the couple retired to bed, Kordell's water broke and they rushed to the UHWI. The doctors related that a C-section would have to be done. Marvin said that he was worried about the procedure but Kordell offered comfort to him saying, "I know you don't want me to do it, but I'm in pain and I'm tired."

Their children, Julisa and Julian were delivered at 2:53 p.m and 2:54 p.m., respectively. However, Kordell developed complications after the surgery. A few days later, doctors told Marvin that his wife's kidneys and liver were failing.

"Tuesday night I cried because it hurt me to see her on so many machines. I got the call that her kidneys were failing and I was at work. I just took my breakfast and I didn't want anyone to see me cry, so I just use a hand towel to wipe my eyes. Some people were calling to me and I couldn't stop to talk to them. I walked from my workplace on Spanish Town Road to Three Miles and water just a drop out my eyes. The entire time me a walk, me a cry."

"The children will have to grow without their mother and she always say she wish me could a feel some of the pain she's going through in the pregnancy and I tell her that I know [the pain she feeling] and that's why I am here with her. Our children need both parents, that was the plan for them. We planned how we going raise our children and I am going to grow them that way, because that was our plan," Marvin said.

At the time of her death, Kordell, 29, was employed at Allied Insurance Brokers. She completed a master's of science degree in enterprise risk management at The University of the West Indies last year.