Patricia Pouncey GoFundMe raises more than $98,000 after grandmother is left to fend for her daughter's 12 children

By Sunday, April 16, a fundraiser for Detroit grandmother Patricia Pouncey raised over $98,000. The initiative, whose initial goal was to collect $75,000, was created to support Pouncey as she is responsible for caring for her late daughter's 12 children. Pouncey's daughter, Nikita Washington, died at the Harper University Hospital while giving birth to her last child in December 2022.

Her official cause of death was "postpartum hemorrhage".

On the GoFundMe Page, Nikita Washington's sister, Daveia Knox, said that her 35-year-old sister did not have an insurance policy at the time of her death. Knox noted that Washington had two grandchildren and 12 children. Washington's second oldest daughter is also due to go to prom in 2023.

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Patricia Pouncey says daughter's death has left her hurt and confused

Patricia Pouncey said that the death of her daughter left her in a chaotic situation, as she was confused about what to do. She said that it was even more difficult to gain control of the situation since she was still mourning Washington's death.

Pouncey said that all she received from the hospital was a death certificate, and that all other communication remained limited. She said that as a result, she still wonders whether or not the hospital tried their best to save her daughter.

Pouncey said that the family is still awaiting results from an official autopsy:

"If she died naturally, I want to know. If one of them doctors did something, I wanna know that too. I'm hurt, I'm confused."

She also added that the children are still recovering from their mother's death:

"They're taking it hard. They have good days, and they have bad days."

Patricia Pouncey said that she wished she had gone with Washington to the hospital on December 22. Washington was reportedly being treated for high blood pressure at the time, something that was aggravated as she was scheduled for a cesarean section surgery.

While the deceased mother's sister was present, her husband was incarcerated at the time.

In an official statement, the Detroit Medical Center, which operates Harper University Hospital, addressed Nikita Washington's death.

A spokesperson for the hospital said:

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family for the loss of their loved one. We cannot discuss specifics regarding the treatment of any individual due to patient privacy laws.”

Patricia Pouncey also noted her most immediate concerns as she continues to care for the children. She said that her current home is too small to accommodate all of the family members.

She added that she recently had a car accident and also requires a new vehicle. Pouncey said that despite the financial strain, she will try her best to keep the children together, as she believes it will be the best option for them going forward.