Jamesetta Kugmeh Dies: She Went to Give Life and Lost Hers

Monrovia, Liberia: Jamesetta Kugmeh, the young woman whose story drew national attention, has died at the John F. Kennedy Medical Center in Monrovia. She was 28 years old.

Jamesetta had been fighting for her life for months after a delivery went wrong at ELWA Hospital. Her family says she went there in February for a routine pregnancy checkup. Doctors said her baby was overdue and decided to induce labor. Things quickly got worse, and she had to undergo emergency surgery.

After the surgery, Jamesetta suffered several serious complications, including kidney and liver failure, a collapsed urethra, third-degree burns, and the removal of her womb. She later posted on Facebook, saying, “I walked into ELWA healthy and hopeful, but I am now fighting for my life.” That post went viral.

In April, she was taken to Ghana for further treatment. However, she returned to Liberia and was being treated at JFK Hospital, where she died on Tuesday, May 20.

Just a day before her death, her family and friends held a protest in Congo Town. They carried signs saying “Justice for Jamesetta” and “Our Health System is Bleeding.” They blamed ELWA Hospital and demanded accountability.

“We want answers,” the crowd chanted.

Jamesetta’s story touched many people across Liberia. Her fight for survival, shared through emotional social media posts, made her a symbol of the problems in Liberia’s healthcare system especially for women giving birth.

So far, ELWA Hospital has not made any public statement about what happened. The Ministry of Health says it is aware of the public concern but hasn’t commented on the details of the case.

Her family says they will keep fighting for justice.

“She went to bring life into this world and lost hers instead,” one relative said. “We will not stop until someone takes responsibility.”

There are growing calls for an investigation. Many are asking for the medical staff involved to be suspended while an independent inquiry is carried out.