A DURBAN nurse who recently lost her son and nearly her life to the rare pregnancy complication, HELLP syndrome, is channelling her pain into raising awareness and helping to save the lives of other expecting mothers.

Registered Nursing Sister and director of Warriors of Life Healthcare, Nicolleen Dukhan-Chetty, suffered the unimaginable pain of losing her son, Benjamin Azriel, who died after a courageous 22-day fight for survival in hospital on July 28.

Dukhan-Chetty, who is also the founder of the Woman Warriors Of God, a social media support group, said that at 24 weeks pregnant, what had been a healthy pregnancy suddenly changed when she developed severe upper abdominal pain and dangerously high blood pressure.

She was rushed to St Augustine’s Hospital, where doctors diagnosed her with HELLP syndrome (haemolysis, elevated liver enzymes and low platelets) and recommended an emergency delivery to save her life.

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“Even as a trained nursing sister, this was a condition I had never personally encountered in my career,” she said.

Doctors monitored her condition closely, with daily blood tests revealing dangerously elevated liver enzymes and a rapidly declining platelet count. Dukhan-Chetty said the situation deteriorated, and specialists advised that the only treatment was the immediate delivery of her baby as her life was in danger.

Dukhan-Chetty said she remembers hearing, “We need to go to theatre urgently. She has three other children at home who need their mother.”

On July 6, 2026, her son Benjamin Azriel was delivered weighing just 470g. Benjamin spent 22 days in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit before he died. “For 22 days, Benjamin fought for his life. But on July 28, 2026, God called our little warrior home to gain his angel wings,” she said.

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Dukhan-Chetty said pain and experience has strengthened her resolve to educate women about HELLP syndrome. She urged expectant mothers never to ignore warning signs, including severe pain in the upper abdomen, persistent nausea or vomiting, severe headaches, blurred vision, swelling of the face or hands, and dangerously high blood pressure.

“Because HELLP syndrome damages the liver and impairs blood clotting, it is a strict medical emergency,” said Dukhan-Chetty. “The ultimate treatment for HELLP syndrome is the delivery of the baby, regardless of how early in the pregnancy it occurs. If you experience these symptoms, seek immediate emergency medical care.”

She added, “I could have been gone. I could have been a memory to my three older sons. But God kept me here for a purpose. Part of that purpose is to use my voice, my medical background, and my faith to empower other women, to raise health awareness, and to keep my son’s legacy alive.”

Dukhan-Chetty also expressed her gratitude to the medical team at St Augustine’s Hospital, the doctors, nurses, support staff, her family, church leaders and friends who supported her throughout her ordeal.

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