Mother of Eight Dies After Childbirth Complications in Modi'in Illit

A 40-year-old mother of eight, Miriam Bracha Ben Hamo, passed away early Friday morning at the intensive care unit of Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer. Her death occurred less than 24 hours after she gave birth to her eighth child, a daughter. Ben Hamo suffered a rare medical complication during labor, and despite extensive efforts by medical staff, her life could not be saved.

The incident began Thursday morning when the mother, who reportedly had no prior medical conditions, suddenly experienced difficulty breathing. Senior doctors were immediately summoned, and she was rushed to the operating room. Her husband, R' Shalom Ben Hamo, waited outside as doctors delivered their daughter. Shortly after, medical personnel informed him that while the baby was born safely, they were fighting for his wife's life.

Medical teams performed prolonged resuscitation efforts on Ben Hamo, administering 100 units of blood and connecting her to an ECMO machine for heart and lung support. She was subsequently transferred to the intensive care unit at Sheba Medical Center. Despite prayers for her recovery, her condition deteriorated overnight, and she was pronounced dead at 2 a.m. Friday.

Sheba Medical Center stated that a senior multidisciplinary team made sustained efforts to save her life and pledged to continue supporting the family. Ben Hamo was laid to rest Friday morning in the Yarkon Cemetery. She is survived by her husband and eight children, the eldest being 19 and the youngest, their newborn daughter Naama, who will never know her mother. The family faces the immense challenge of raising eight children, including an infant, without their mother, and the community is being called upon to provide extensive assistance.