The family of a pregnant nurse who died with COVID have yet to receive any money from a GoFundMe campaign that names them as beneficiaries.
Mary Agyapong, 28, died after giving birth in April 2020 at Luton and Dunstable Hospital, where she worked. At 35 weeks pregnant, she was admitted to hospital April 5 after having collapsed with breathing difficulties, but was discharged the same day, despite her misgivings. She was readmitted two days later with COVID symptoms. She gave birth to a daughter by Caesarean section and was then transferred to intensive care on April 8, where she died four days later.
On April 15, family friend Rhoda Asiedu set up a GoFundMe page to support “Mary’s husband, and the couple’s children… during this heavy and trying time”, and has raised more than £186 000 (R3 720 000). This money had been placed into a trust, according to her lawyers.
Ms Agyapong’s widower said he found it “surprising” he had not been involved.
Coroner Emma Whitting, at an inquest held last month, said that it was “unclear” how mother-of-two Ms Agyapong contracted COVID before her death. She then urged Prime Minister Boris Johnson to begin a public inquiry into the pandemic.
The funds raised were paid to Ms Asiedu’s legal team, Blue Trinity, who said it had been placed “on trust” for the education of Ms Agyapong’s children and that 80% would be released when they turned 21. The remaining 20% would be provided to Ms Agyapong’s widower Ernest Boateng for “maintenance and upkeep” of the children, but he had “failed to co-operate with the trustees to arrange a schedule of maintenance”.
Blue Trinity however has not responded to requests from the BBC or Mr Boateng’s legal team to see the trust documents.
“I just try to keep my head above the water,” said Mr Boateng, who is studying law. “I find it very surprising that we have not been asked or involved with this GoFundMe money – it’s beyond my understanding.”
GoFundMe stated that it was clear from the outset that the money would be placed in a trust, adding: “Our records show the wording of the page has not been changed since it launched on 15 April 2020.”
However, an archived snapshot of the webpage on 16 April found by the BBC made no reference to a trust at all. When fundraiser Ms Asiedu was contacted by the BBC, she directed media requests to her legal team.
Source: BBC News
