Seagoville mom of three dies from COVID-19 days after giving birth

SEAGOVILLE, Texas - A Seagoville mother of three died from complications due to COVID-19 just four days after giving birth to a newborn baby girl.

Krystal Blackwell started feeling symptoms about two weeks ago. She now leaves behind two sons and a newborn baby girl, who is just a week old. 

Angela Rowan has known her best friend Krystal Blackwell since they were about four years old. Rowan says Blackwell cared deeply for her two sons, David and Dylan, and was so excited to welcome her third child due next month.

"When she found out that she was having a girl, like, the excitement was just like, oh my God," Rowan said.

Rowan says Blackwell’s two sons started feeling COVID-19 symptoms first. Then she started feeling symptoms similar to allergies.

"Then she was like, I don't have any strength. I'm tired. She didn't want to eat, she had no appetite, stuff like that," Rowan said.

Blackwell eventually tested positive for COVID-19. Rowan says Blackwell was not vaccinated.

"The next thing I know, she was in the hospital. She went in for preeclampsia and then it just all unraveled from there," Rowan said.

Blackwell gave birth to her daughter Rylee by emergency C-section August 30. She was put on a ventilator and died four days later.

The Centers for Disease Control says the COVID-19 vaccines are safe for pregnant women and studies show it does not increase the risk of miscarriages. CDC safety monitoring has not found any concerns for women who were vaccinated late in pregnancy or for their babies.

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"I feel for I feel for everyone that's lost on anybody in their lives that they lost, it's not a way that you want to go," Rowan said.

Doctors say in recent weeks there has been an increase in pregnant women infected with COVID-19, which can cause complications during pregnancy. 

"A single mother raising two kids and then was happy to get the girl of the dream that she always wanted to have her and to be taken away from her is it's unbearable. The baby will not ever get to see or speak to her mother. Pictures and memories is all she's going to have," Rowan said.

Blackwell’s sister has taken in her two sons and her newborn daughter.

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